Love Amongst the Dragons
by SuperSonic Violet
Summary: AU. When Zuko and Katara embark on a mission together, an unlikely bond is formed between two different people of two opposing elements. After reuniting with the rest of the gang, what will become of their newfound relationship?
1. Reminiscence

_[AU] When Zuko and Katara embark on a mission together, an unlikely bond is formed between two different people of two opposing elements. After reuniting with the rest of the gang, what will become of their newfound relationship?_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters created here belong to me.**

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Katara was furious. She thought that she would wake up in the morning to the sound of Momo's constant chatter. But today, she was awakened by the sound of crashing rubble and crazed laughter. It was Zuko's sister, Azula. She was attacking the Western Air Temple, three colossal airships at her command. A scramble to get to safety had begun, and by that, Katara and Sokka had to leave their father again. Now, after only ten minutes, they were seated anxiously in Appa's saddle. Toph was flinging jagged rocks into the air, hoping to hit a target. The blind girl flopped down, panting lightly, clinging onto the rim of the saddle.

Sokka looked up suddenly. "Toph, head's up!"

Her empty eyes widened. She shot out her arm skyward and clenched her fist. With her other arm, she anchored herself into a strong stance. She brought that same arm up and swept it to the side, the large boulder following the movement of her arm. In the air, Toph could not see, and to her all that was present was the floating chunk of earth. As she directed it, she heard a deep groan of pain vibrating below her. Thrusting her clenched hand out – now even paler than usual – the boulder flew into the distance.

She huffed and sat down again. "Sorry, Appa," she said quietly.

"Katara, fire blasts!" yelled Sokka; next to him Suki winced and rubbed her ear.

Katara gasped. She rose quickly, pulling her water out of its containing skin. The aforementioned fire blast was directly in her path. She wove the lucent blue liquid into a spinning disk just as the fire was about to reach them. A small amount of steam was released with the collision of the two elements. She slapped her hand forward, continuing the spinning motion with the other, to dissipate the next blast. A third blast. A fourth. And then a ball of seething blue fire came zooming down. She coiled the water around her waist, working it into a tight snake. Lunging forward, she shot the snake into the core of the blue fire. It burst, raining down.

Katara relaxed out of her waterbending stance, kneeling in her corner of the saddle. "So you're just gonna sit there, giving out orders?" she asked, turning to Sokka.

"That's the plan." He gave her a thumbs-up.

Suki smacked it out of the way, looking shocked. "That's Zuko!" She pointed to a falling figure clad in dark red. "Aang-"

"Appa, yip-yip!" commanded Aang.

The flying bison groaned with exhaustion and swerved, picking up his speed and rushing them to Zuko, who was tumbling down through the thin clouds. Katara, still kneeling, realized she was nearest to where he was going to fall – she had to catch him. He flipped around, arms outstretched towards Katara. She grabbed him by the elbow, and he landed with a thud in the centre of the saddle. She opened her tightly shut eyes and saw that she was leaning much too close to him, her grip on his elbow strong. He did not seem to notice, but she let go. _Not even a thank you._ She shrugged away to sit down at the front of the saddle with her back to Aang.

"She's not going to make it… of _course_ she did," said Zuko bitterly. He was talking about his sister, who had saved herself from a fall similar to Zuko's.

While the others began to chat to him, Katara looked at Aang. "How long will we be flying for?" she asked.

"For as long as Appa can manage," he replied hoarsely.

"He's injured, isn't he?"

"Yeah. Toph's boulder…"

"Don't worry about it, Aang. As soon as we land, I'll heal him as best as I can."

Aang's posture visibly relaxed at the sound of her words. "I just hope we don't crash-land now – we're flying over the sea."

Katara looked over her shoulder. In the distance, she could make out dark hair blowing in the wind on the side of the mountain. Although she could not see it, she knew there was a malicious smirk on Azula's cold face. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she turned back to Aang. "Where are we going?"

"I don't know. But we'll set up camp on the nearest island when the sun goes down." Aang paused and rubbed Appa's head. "You can do it, buddy," he said to the bison. Their bond could not be severed.

Katara smiled to herself. She gazed at the sun. It was quite high in the sky; they must have only woken up before noon. She blinked a few times, noticing everyone had quietened down, even her brother, and her eyelids suddenly felt heavy. She looked at the sun again, squinting now, trying to stay awake. Her head lolled forward and tilted back again. Everything suddenly felt… nice. She rested her head on the rim of the saddle, looking up at the golden clouds. She sighed. Even though a terrifying, teenaged future warlord had tracked them down, she felt oddly content. She realized that when the War was over, she might rarely enjoy the company of her friends – and Zuko. She finally closed her eyes, casting away those sad thoughts.

* * *

A rapid surge of energy greeted Katara. She opened her deep blue eyes and sat up. It was the evening, and the full moon's soft glow shone down on them, lighting up the dark night. She breathed in the fresh air. Appa was flying slowly now, and everyone was still asleep. Sokka's head was thrown back, his mouth gaping wide, drool leaking from the side of his mouth. His arm was around Suki, who was lying on her side, curved so that her head relaxed on his arm. Toph was curled up, still clinging onto the rim of the saddle. Zuko was wide awake.

He was staring out into the distance, in deep thought, his arms crossed on the saddle's rim. His dark hair was blowing to the side, just so that Katara could see the clear side of his face. He wore a look of deep concentration. In fact, he looked like a normal boy. Looking at him from the side, one who had not met him before would think that he was, indeed, very much normal. They would think that the unseen side of his face was identical to the seen side. But in reality, a horrid red scar was pasted there. It was a mark symbolizing the anguish he had suffered. He was definitely not normal.

But there were other marks, too. These marks were invisible to his people: the marks pasted upon the other three nations. The Fire Nation were mostly ruthless people. His father, the leader of them all, was the worst. He was a monster, a murderer, a destroyer. Zuko, his son, had recently joined them with the intentions of teaching Aang firebending and helping bring peace to the world – the world his family has been destroying slowly. Firelord Ozai was an evil man, and the source of the world's problems. And Zuko is his very blood. Katara's eyebrows curved inward as she thought of more reasons to dislike Zuko.

His golden eye flashed quickly to look at her. She removed the scowl from her face. She knew what he was seeing on her face now; although her scowl had disappeared, her facial expression was that of sullenness. She gave him a hard look before turning away to face the back of Aang. Any moment now Appa was going to lower them onto the island before them. It was a miniscule patch of rocky land, darkened by night's shadows. Katara could still feel his eyes on her, but she chose to ignore it and stay in key with the peaceful atmosphere.

Appa lurched in the sky as he began the descent. Everyone let out a cry of shock as they were awakened.

"Easy, boy, easy!" called Aang.

Zuko's bag fell forward as Appa jerked again; a book fell out of it and jabbed Katara in the leg. She turned and snatched it up. In the faint moonlight, Katara could make out the words '_Love Amongst the Dragons_'. What was a book like this doing in Zuko's bag? She rolled her eyes and tossed it behind her.

"Whoa!" they all cried simultaneously.

Appa groaned before touching down as lightly as he could – his passengers almost fell out of the saddle.

"Whew, that was rough!" commented Toph.

"I thought it was more rocky." Sokka grinned. "Get it, _rocky_?" He pointed at Toph.

Suki rolled her eyes, giggled, and stood up. She stretched her arms. "What is this place?"

"No idea, but we'll stay here for the night anyway," said Aang, leaping off Appa and landing lightly on the ground.

Katara gathered up her things. "We should use the blankets from the Western Air Temple to pitch our tents."

"How are we supposed to hold 'em up?" asked Toph.

Sokka scratched his head. "Branches…"

"Yeah, you guys do that."

"Toph-" began Katara.

"Can it, Sweetness. I'm an earthbender, remember?"

Katara grumbled. "Well, like I said before, it wouldn't hurt-"

"Stop it with the lectures! I thought we already went through this!"

"Yeah, you can carry your _own_ weight." Katara stuck her nose in the air. "Help yourself down, then."

"Actually, Sparky over here is helping me." Toph grinned and grabbed onto Zuko's sleeve.

"Of course," he muttered, escorting Toph awkwardly to the edge of the saddle. He climbed down midway, balancing his bag and blankets while holding her hand as she began to follow him down Appa's side. After five minutes – when the saddle held only Katara – they went around Appa to where the others were setting up their tents.

Katara rolled her eyes. She picked up her moose-lion skin bag from the Earth Kingdom, which held her clothes and accessories. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Katara pulled the two remaining rust blankets into her arms. They were as long as she was, and after only one step, she found herself slipping and falling over. With a grunt, she halted her fall, half of her body dangling over the edge of the saddle.

"Are you okay, Katara?" asked Zuko, who had stopped setting up his tent and started towards her.

She pursed her lips and kicked her leg over the side, pushing off the saddle, and landing heavily next to him. "I'm fine."

She stomped off, hearing Zuko sigh. Suki had finished with her tent, which had been pitched low and circular, and was pretending to help Sokka with his while they whispered. She had left a space for Katara's tent, which, much to her annoyance, was close to Zuko's, only a pile of flat stones separating them.

Suki glanced at Appa and turned to Sokka, speaking normally now. "Why'd you put your tent so close to Appa? He needs good rest, you know."

"Appa and I go back a long way." He shrugged.

"As long as he and Aang?" said Katara, tying the branches which made up her tent's contour.

"That's unfair. They had a head start."

"Of a whole century," said Toph, strolling into the centre of the camping spot.

"Actually, one hundred _and seven _years. That's when I met Appa – I was only five." Aang smiled. He was carrying a mess of sticks in his arms. "Better move, Toph. I'm gonna light the fire."

"Sure. I don't want my feet burnt again." The earthbender turned and stared pointedly in Zuko's direction, who was testing the branches' strength.

"I said I was sorry." He threw his arms up. "What more do you want?"

"Hm, a foot rub!" said Toph with a sassy grin. She slid her foot and a column of earth rose from the ground, propping her foot up. "You know you want to, Jerkbender…"

Zuko cringed. "Maybe later."

"When is that?" asked Toph sweetly, dropping her column.

Zuko grumbled and rushed forward. He grabbed Toph by her wrists and pulled her next to the entrance of Katara's tent. Holding her in place, he said, "Aang, light the fire!"

The boy nodded, throwing the sticks down, and with a single punch, he produced a bush of fire. It rose high and suddenly dropped down into a neat little campfire.

"Nice," said Zuko.

Katara emerged from inside the tent and raised her eyebrows at the sight waiting for her. "Toph, is Zuko planning to save you from the pirates?" she asked awkwardly.

Toph frowned. "Pirates? What're you talking about?"

Zuko let go of the young girl's wrists and trudged away, a dismayed expression on his face.

"Never mind. Have you seen my waterskin?"

"Yeah."

"Do you-" Katara stopped herself in time. "You're blind."

"I thought you knew by now." She shook her head.

Katara couldn't think of a decent comeback. "Sorry. It must be in Appa's saddle." She sauntered off.

After a few minutes, the campsite had been left empty. Only Katara remained there, hunting for her waterskin, and Toph, who was sealed up in an earthen tent. Suki had insisted on preparing the group's dinner, since Katara usually took on that responsibility – "Relax, read a book, do some bending". And the blue-eyed warrior had run off into the thick brush. Aang and Sokka had snatched up two spears, and charged off, Sokka barking at him from behind about selecting suitable meat.

Walking behind the sleeping bison, Katara found a pleasant surprise: Zuko.

"What're you doing here?" she demanded.

He was seated on the edge of the cliff. "Did you have to bring that up?"

"What?"

"Pirates."

"Well, that _was_ the first time we formally met, right?"

"I know I've made some bad choices, but I swear, those days have long passed." He stood up and turned to look her in the eye. "I've tried to fit in, and the others have accepted me. But why won't you, Katara?"

"Aside from the obvious?" Her voice was getting louder. "You didn't just betray all of us – you betrayed _me_. You lied to _me_. And I was the first person to trust you, to _accept_ you, all the way back in Ba Sing Se! You were so eager to join your psycho sister before, and now you think that just because you say you've changed I'll actually believe you? Welcome you with open arms?"

"Katara, I didn't think you'd _love_ me instantly, but I didn't think you'd hate me either."

"I don't _hate_ you. Ugh, the things coming from your mouth are just too hard to believe right now." She huffed. "No wonder you're related to Azula," she spat the name out as though it sickened her. "It's as unbelievable as saying the Fire Nation _didn't_ take my mother's life," she finished quietly.

A large tear was pooling in her eye. Zuko was about to take a step to her, but then a moonpeach dropped from the sky and hit the ground between them with a _thud_. The two looked up and saw the shape of Aang's glider cast in the dark sky like a silhouette.

"Sorry!" rang his voice.

As he was about to swoop out of the clouds, Katara turned and walked back around Appa to the centre of the campsite.

"Katara!" called Zuko after her. He did not follow, but instead waited for Aang to descend.

Sokka was dragging his feet towards the fire. His spear was leaving a broken line in the ground, showing the trail he left from the woods to the cliff. He looked worn-out, twigs and many other intriguing delights in his warrior's wolf-tail, which had fallen considerably lower down. He sighed as he dropped his spear and carried on his lackluster movement.

"Hey," he greeted Katara.

"What happened?" she asked, plucking a leaf from his wolf-tail as he passed.

"No meat. Dumb moonpeaches. Gonna starve…" he mumbled.

A loud explosion of sand erupted as Toph shoved the walls of her tent into the ground. Her fist was still in the air from the earthbending move. "Sokka! You're back! I mean, d'you have food? I can't feel anything on you."

He sighed again. "Thanks, I'm fine. How about you?"

"Great. So does Fangirl have dinner, 'cause you obviously don't?"

"Yeah, maybe. Toph, I think we're eating vegetables tonight."

"Again?" whined Toph.

"You could do with some vegetables," said Katara. She looked around and saw that Aang and Zuko were seated and observing this little scene silently. "Maybe I should get some water boiling so Suki has less work – and so you two don't have a fit."

"Thank you!" said Toph, relieved. She punched Katara in the shoulder. "Now go get some water."

"I think Sokka and Toph should be separated. Now _she's_ giving orders," said Aang. He looked at Katara. "Want me to come with you?"

"Sure."

Aang got up eagerly, a wide smile on his shiny face. Unlike Sokka, he looked refreshed after their expedition in the woods. He had Katara's deflated waterskin slung over his elbow, still holding it as they began to walk in the opposite direction; down to the abandoned pier he had spotted beneath the cliff. A few moments of silence as the two walked away from the campsite. Aang kicked a stone and broke the silence.

"So what were you and Zuko talking about?" he asked.

"Nothing," replied Katara, rubbing her shoulder with her other hand.

"Sounded like something to me."

She looked at him with surprise. "Did he tell you or did you hear that?"

Aang chuckled nervously. "I was in the sky for longer than you thought."

"Oh."

"But that moonpeach did its work."

Katara frowned. "How?"

"It stopped your argument."

They had gotten to a place in the land where it began to slope down steeply, forming the hill the cliff clung onto. A stony path ran down to the sandy shore which could be made out from the very top. Crunching sounds could be heard as their feet weighed down on the gravel. Katara did not know how to respond to Aang's words, deciding silence would be better than saying something ridiculous. She picked up the pace, Aang matching it too.

Not before long, they reached the shore. There was a small dip in the sand that stopped the water from running fully over the shoreline, and it also formed the foundation the rickety wooden pier was built on. Katara stopped at this dip and slowly pulled up enough water to fit in her skin. She sighed and turned it this way and that – then she suddenly whirled and hurled the liquid at Aang.

He slowed it down with one hand and drove it around his head, making a full circle before sending it back at Katara in a slim arrow, only a small droplet separating and falling to the ground. Katara waved her hand upwards, the water moving in that direction. She brought it back down and sent it in a final movement to Aang, who held up the waterskin and slipped the water into it as it came.

"Well done, pupil Aang. You were pretty good, and you only let one drop out." She started towards him, smiling. "I think I've become too predictable."

Aang laughed as they both began the walk up the hill. "No, you're even better."

Katara rubbed her head uneasily. The way he said it… reminded her of the invasion; it reminded her of her confusion about Aang since then.

"Remember what we were talking about before?" he interrupted her reverie.

She coughed. "Huh? Oh, right. The argument. You were saying?"

"Try not to be too uptight. He's doing his best."

"Are you trying to make me forgive him?" she demanded with annoyance.

"No, no," he said quickly. "I'm saying that being hostile isn't good for anyone, not just the two of you. I'm not telling you to forgive him, but I'm asking you if you're going to."

"Maybe, but not right away."

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**Author's Note:**

**And that's the end of the first chapter... to my first published FanFic! **

**It started at _The Southern Raiders._ Zuko's book will definitely be highlighted on; it's going to be a recurring object throughout the story. **

** I hope you enjoyed it. R & R :) **


	2. The Duel

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters created here belong to me.**

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**Chapter 2: The Duel**

"What are you doing?" came Aang's voice from behind her.

Katara started, almost dropping the water under her control. "Just putting the fire out."

The young boy yawned. "Aren't you just bending?" he said tiredly.

"Well, yeah," she said, shrugging.

She moved the water, discoloured from last night's cooking, to the pile of glowing sticks underneath the huge, dented pot, which sat in the very centre of the circle of tents. It was only sunrise, the full moon from last night giving her ample energy to wake up too early. A small hiss of steam, and the glowing died.

"Why are you up so early, Aang? We have training today, so you'd better rest."

"Full moon last night. I was in the perfect mood for waterbending," he said with a hazy smile.

Katara beamed; he was eager despite being tired. But her flash of white teeth came to an end like the sun disappearing behind the clouds when the flap to Zuko's tent lifted, and the latter came out. He did not have the same dark circles under his eyes like Aang, otherwise Katara would have tried to make him go back to sleep.

"Did you just say that you were training Aang today?" asked Zuko, standing next to the log that was a makeshift bench.

"Yes I did, thank you very much," replied Katara. Before she could scowl, she met eyes with Aang; his had a look that told her to be 'nice'. She did not smile, but she kept her face straight and hard.

"Well, I'm supposed to be training him," said Zuko, his tone firm.

"Are you, now?"

"Yes! He agreed to it yesterday."

Katara went back to twisting the water. "He agreed to me first."

"That's too bad." Zuko folded his arms. "He's had months for waterbending and only a week for firebending."

"Your point?"

He sighed. "Can't you be reasonable about this?"

"I'm only being honest. It is, of course, the _right_ thing to do!" With an angry _clang _from the pot, she slammed the water through its mouth.

"You're childish."

"So what if I am?"

"You're so unlike to what people say waterbenders are."

She rose to her feet. "Who are those people? I bet their idea of a waterbender is someone blue and chained up!"

"Stop going off topic. We need to decide who's training Aang for today."

"I think I should train Aang. Water is the next element in the cycle for him to learn, not fire."

"That happens to be a coincidence-"

"And you think you should train him, because fire is the superior element, right?"

"This is going nowhere!" Zuko massaged the bridge of his nose. "Aang, please, just choose one."

Aang was gaping at them, his grey eyes wide. Zuko and Katara hadn't noticed Toph loudly open her earthen tent. Now she was making her way to the empty fireplace where the quarrel was taking place.

"What's with all the noise?" she said, flexing her arms as she stopped beside Aang.

"They're deciding who should train me today," said Aang, his eyes still on Zuko and Katara.

Toph set her hand on the brim of the pot. "Deciding? Sounds like they're fighting over it."

"I wouldn't stoop so low to fight. Would you, Zuko?" said Katara sweetly.

"Enough of that, Katara." Toph removed her hand from the pot – revealing a deep gouge in the brim – and held it up in front of Katara's face. "_I_ will train Aang today. You two will sort out your problems. I'm sick of hearing your endless fights. Either stop fighting now or stop talking to each other at all. Get your rock on, Twinkle Toes." Toph dragged Aang behind her as she went. "We're leaving."

Zuko and Katara watched them go. Both were equally embarrassed at making Toph mad. The young girl was cheeky, easily infuriating other people around her with her comments and actions, but she was rarely as serious as this. Katara turned to look at Zuko. Toph had not mentioned his name before she left with Aang; only Katara's. Could she really be the cause of the hostility in the group? As Zuko began to walk away, instinct told Katara to do what she did next: she pulled last night's water from the pot, formed a small water whip, and hit it at Zuko's shoulder.

The boy turned. "What was that for?" he demanded, his voice tinted with anger.

"We're going to listen to Toph, and we're going to sort this out." Katara dropped the old water and moved her leg away from the other, bending so that her centre of gravity was low, and pulled water out of the skin resting at her hip. One arm rose above her head, the water reaching for her hand, while the other stayed on the waterskin. This was the ideal waterbending stance to be in if she were to form a water whip first.

"Once and for all?" asked Zuko. He parted his leg too, aiming for a low centre of gravity just like Katara. His clenched his fingers together and stretched his arms, before bringing them to his chest as he breathed in. He released his fingers from each other, arms stretched out, palms opened with one at his chest and the other held out to Katara. His relaxed posture told Katara that he was not worried, and she could not help but feel insulted.

"Maybe, maybe not. But it'll still help," she said.

Zuko glanced around. "We should take this elsewhere. We don't want to destroy everything while nobody's watching."

"I'm _glad_ you view me as a capable bender. So, did the sun give you enough energy this morning?"

"You bet."

"Then should I be the one to run away, or would you rather be the one?"

"You should run."

Katara prepared to slap him with another water whip. "Gee, that's fitting." She brought the whip down on his leg, aiming for a small sting to open their duel. "You are a bad person."

She reeled in her whip and leapt over the pot, going toward the edge of the cliff away from the campsite. As she ran, her boots stepped on scattered little rocks, but there was a squelching sound and something sticky clinging to the bottom of the soft-skinned boots. She stopped and turned her heel up; groaning, she moved further along to the cliff's edge. She heard Zuko's boots pounding almost lazily on the ground as he caught up to her. When they both stopped, he relaxed out of his stance, an unreadable look on his face. She raised an eyebrow, bent the water in an arrow shape and fired it at him; he dodged it by jumping and curling his legs up with him. He seemed to be suspended in the air until she pulled the water knife back to her and let the water creep up her arms, forming tentacles as he straightened up again.

"Why won't you shoot back?" she demanded.

"I can't," he said simply.

"It's not like you can't make even a small flame, Zuko."

"I'm able to do that… but I refuse to."

"Why?" She was getting impatient. "It's never stopped you before."

"I'm sorry, Katara, but I just won't do it."

Katara pushed a sigh out from between her teeth – her frustration was growing. She charged at him, swinging her tentacles in a cutting arc. He ducked. She punched a tentacle left; he moved right. She punched a tentacle right; he moved left again. She swung a tentacle at his foot but he kicked it away with his other. She sent a blast of water at his head, her arm slipping over his shoulder as he dodged it. He stretched his arm, closest to the tentacle over his shoulder, across her midrib and gave her a small shove, sending her moving clumsily away from his shoulder. The next few moments were filled with fierce staring.

"Why won't you shoot?" she shouted against the wind.

"Why do you want me to shoot so badly?" he challenged, his voice rising with frustration but not as loud as hers.

"Because…"

"Because what, Katara? Tell me."

"Just because I…" she trailed off again.

"Come on, Katara," he coaxed.

"Because I need to see for myself!" she yelled, seeing his expression changed from exasperation to shock; he was not expecting such an answer.

"If you shoot, I will know that something has changed. Because if you shoot, this time I will dodge it. This time your flame won't even get close to touching me. If I dodge it, I know that I will always be able to. I will know if I'll be able to trust you, and I will know if you've truly changed inside and chosen us. If I dodge it, I will be prepared if anything happens.

"If you don't shoot, I will never know. I won't be able to trust the fire you possess and what you'll use it for. If I can't trust that, I can't trust you. By now you can probably see how much everyone here means to me, and if someone I don't trust is interacting with them all the time, how can I rest assured everything's all right?

"I can't explain it, Zuko, but that's how I feel. So, are you going to help me, or are you going to let things get worse?"

"Hectic explanation, but I'll see."

Katara scowled. "What is there to see?" She extended her water tentacles, long enough to reach him. They snatched his wrists and held them out to her. She advanced forward until she faced him directly, looking at his face with anger but keeping her eyes away from his. And then he smirked. Katara was taken aback for a moment, and she knew what was going to happen next just by how his muscles tensed. His boot scuffed the ground, preparing to lift. It turned onto its toe, and then kicked up.

Katara's hands slivered swiftly through her tentacles; the only thing to grab onto was Zuko's own hands. Her fingers wove between his, and with her grip tight, she launched herself into the air just as the blazing river of flame escaped from his foot. She willed herself to go higher so that she could balance more easily – and so that the heat gushing below her would not touch her. Now she was balancing her whole body on Zuko's sturdy arms, sharing her weight. He seemed to be cooperating with her, though he grunted, trying to hold his concentration.

She imagined what it must look like. A strong, firebending boy with a scar on his face, his magnificent flames heating up the area, emitting from only his foot. A young girl, a waterbender, judging by the water tentacles that covered her and the boy's hands, was balancing right on his arms. She must be light, and her hair was falling over her shoulder, her legs curved in the air. Looks of concentration smeared their faces.

Katara's legs bent over even further. Now they were about to make a full revolution in the air. As they curved so that her feet were almost level with her face, her abdomen began to hurt. The pulling pain she felt in her sides made her wince, and she finally let go of Zuko's hands, touching down on the ground, panting lightly and massaging her sides.

She realized their duel was not going to be over that quickly. As she was spinning around, she dragged her hand behind, the remaining water droplets moving up her nimble fingers. Zuko seemed to have realized this at the same time, for their wrists collided; both of their palms were open, her fingers sporting a set of icy claws. He stopped his quick, light breathing for a split second and then sighed, closing his eyes. He pulled his hand away to his side.

"Now you know," he said, turning his back to her and walking away from the cliff's edge.

* * *

Katara spent the rest of the day avoiding Zuko. She had given up the thought of training Aang today, and as soon as Toph was done with him, Zuko took over; Katara appeared to have lost interest, but she was in fact pondering over the duel earlier on. She had seated herself rather precariously on the edge of the cliff, looking up at the clear sky, letting her legs dangle over the edge. While alone, she allowed herself to think over Zuko's actions and Aang's words. Yesterday, the younger boy had told her something he thought was for her own good – and the group's. But that was not what made her reconsider her feelings towards Zuko.

He really did seem like he did not want to hurt her, but she had forced him to try. What made her feel more confused was that she had not dodged the flames herself; he had helped her. Given his strength, it would have been easy for him to throw her back down or simply refuse to lift her into the air. Maybe he was not the person she thought he was; maybe there was good in him somewhere. Katara's gaze was falling to the blazing summer sun, low in the sky. Zuko had certainly changed since the last time she saw him.

"But that doesn't take away what he did before," she thought out aloud. "He might've done this just to change my mind and make me like the others." She sighed. "Or he might've listened to his conscience." She shut her eyes. "What does this mean?"

"Hey."

Katara opened her eyes and turned. She smiled. "Hey, Suki."

The other girl was walking up to Katara, a friendly smile on her innocent face. "Spoilt for choice, I see?" she said, sitting down lightly beside Katara with her knees drawn up to her chest.

"Spoilt?" Katara frowned. "Well, if that's really what you wanna call it."

"Katara?" Suki turned to look at the other girl.

"Hm?"

"I need to have a talk with you – a girl-to-girl talk."

Katara laughed. "Why?"

"Don't act as if nothing's wrong. You're just keeping to yourself and thinking and thinking. I want to know what's happening." Suki sounded just like she always did, but was looking concerned.

"You don't have to worry about it."

Suki ignored her and went on. "First, tell me who _he_ is?"

"It's someone that you know."

"Is it that earthbender guy?"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Haru?" When Suki nodded, she shook her head in turn. "No, Haru's just my friend. But I'll tell you who it is."

Suki started to look more eager. "Who?"

"Or should I?" Katara put her finger against her chin and gazed off to the side in mock wonderment.

Suki giggled and smacked her playfully on the shoulder. "Seriously, who is it?"

Katara sighed. "Zuko."

"Oh, now I get it." Suki nodded again, knowingly. "What did he do to you?"

"What is with you people and eavesdropping?" asked Katara, a blush creeping onto Suki's cheeks. "Anyway, this morning we had another fight."

Suki sighed and dropped her legs over the edge, flopping down to lie on the ground with her short brown hair fanning out behind her. "Go on," she dragged.

"Toph got annoyed and said she would train Aang instead of us – that's what we were fighting about. Before they left, she said to sort it out. So, we decided duelling would be better than another attempted talk like last night."

"Something happened last night, too?"

"Focus, Suki. I tried to lay a few hits on him, and I left so many openings that he could've won. But he refused to bend."

"That's kind of sweet of him." When Katara twisted her neck to glare at Suki, the warrior explained. "He wasn't trying to mock your bending or anything. He just doesn't want to hurt you, pretty much like he did before. You know, Sokka told me about the time Zuko tied you to a tree."

"He did?"

"Yeah, he said that you took some waterbending scroll, and then… Zuko took your first kiss!" Suki started to laugh.

Katara looked disgusted. "I haven't had my first kiss yet," she lied – she should have added "with Zuko", but decided against it. Even though her words were bland, she successfully stopped Suki's laughter.

"Well, my first kiss was with Sokka. I think you might've seen it, since he chose to do it in front of _everyone_." Suki's cheeks were reddening again.

"We, kind of, did see. You were blushing so much that it showed through your makeup."

Suki sat up now, with her back slouched and her arms folded in her lap. "Back on topic, I can relate to how you feel. Zuko and his men almost burnt down my village. It took ages to clean up – ashes, charred wood, singed clothes. I really started to hate that guy for doing that to us. And I felt bad that I couldn't help improve the village again because we left to assist the refugees. When we met in person, he didn't even sound sorry, but I looked past that and I've managed to forgive him."

"How?" asked Katara, feeling hopeless.

"I'm not exactly his best friend, but I can tolerate him and handle some talking, even though it's awkward. Just act neutral – not angry, not happy. We've all noticed how anger seems to work for you, and how happiness fails miserably. So why not try just in between?"

"I've tried to look that way. But every time I look at his scar, I remember when we were trapped underneath Ba Sing Se, how we had something in common, how I offered to heal his scar, and then how he just turned around and…" Katara took a deep breath.

Suki covered Katara's hand with her own. "It's okay."

"I was so stupid back then. Now I want to forgive him but I _can't_. I'm just not ready yet because of all that's happened."

Suki gave her hand a squeeze. "Remember, Katara, I'm always here if you wanna talk. Like I said, I can relate to how you're feeling right now."

When Suki left, Katara felt slightly better about the decision. In truth, she was surprised at Suki's sensitivity and understanding towards her situation. Being the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, she was a strong, assertive spirit, rarely revealing herself to have softer feelings. Katara smiled to herself as she realized Suki's makeup was just like her personality; Katara was not expecting her to look like she does without the full-face makeup of Avatar Kyoshi. Just like that, she was not expecting to see the softer, more compassionate side of Suki. Sokka was going to be happy with her, for sure. And now, after this conversation, Katara knew she and Suki would definitely be good friends for a long time.

Dusk was slowly falling, and having spent most of the day alone, Katara was hoping for some company. Unfortunately for her, the campsite was as vacant as the abandoned pier down the hill. She sighed and pulled half of the water from its skin and, waving and rolling her hands, she worked it into a spinning ball. Usually, Toph would help her by holding the pot up as she whizzed the water around the inside of it, giving it a quick but thorough clean. She lowered the ball slowly into the pot, moving it so it could hit the sides. After a few moments when the inside was done, she skimmed it over the surface out of habit. She halted the spinning and jogged to the cliff side with the water, and dropped it over the edge without a second glance.

As she was turning around again, she heard an annoyed growl. Slowly, she peered over the edge and could not help letting out a shriek of laughter. There stood Zuko, his shirt and tunic over his arm, sopping wet. He balled his fists and looked up to see Katara's red-tinted face. "Now what was that for?" he shouted.

"Sorry," called Katara, recovering. "I thought you could use some cooling down."

He sighed a ball of fire, and began steaming himself dry. Aang was standing next to him, a disappointed look on his face. "Katara…"

Katara turned away from them and walked back to the campsite. Toph was lounging on the pile of rocks between Zuko and Katara's tents. There was a dry stem of grass between her teeth, and when she heard Katara approaching she removed her arm out from under her head and pressed it to the rock's surface. "Ooh, what happened down there? You're feeling guilty for some reason."

"I accidentally dropped the dirty pot water on Zuko," replied Katara, rummaging for a wooden spoon in the bag next to the pot. After she produced it, she stuck it in the pot and flopped down.

"Accidentally? Please, everyone knows you're out to get him," said Toph, chewing on the stem.

Katara frowned. "Why do I always have to be the bad guy?" she whispered. Before Toph could speak, she went on. "I mean, it's always _me_ spoiling everyone's fun, it's always _me_ being too overprotective, and it's always me-"

"Whoa, Katara, I was just kidding! You don't have to take it seriously."

Katara jumped to her feet. "And it's always _me_ taking things too seriously, too far. Sure, I may be all those things, but I am for a good reason." She dashed into her tent, wiping the falling tear from her eye. She heard Toph's voice calling her, but she shook her head. "I want to be alone, Toph." Her voice was thick.

She sank to her feet and pulled her knees up against her chest, letting the persistent tears drip from her eyes and onto the material of her breeches. She had thought her talk with Suki might help and she would be able to face Zuko without losing her temper, but now it felt wrong, whether it was for the group or not. Now that they had left the Western Air Temple and it was just the six of them, the acrimony was starting to show through much clearer. She gasped and clutched the blue choker clasped around her neck. _What would you do right now, Mom?_

Hours passed and soon the campsite had fallen silent. Everyone had returned to their tents – Katara remaining in hers – except for a sudden squeal that belonged to Suki. The hushed voices died down as the night drew on. A light sleeper, Katara felt her bare arms become warmer as someone rather stealthy slipped into her tent and draped a blanket over her, but she was too tired to see who it was.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you for your awesome reviews, especially AnnaAza, who was the first to review, and The ixoxo, for her support!**

**You may have noticed there was quite a lot of Suki. I thought, in the series, Suki and Katara are friends but they aren't **_**that**_** close. So I wanted for them to have a special, almost sisterly bond – I didn't want it to be a '2D' story. **

**Hope you enjoyed it – and about the book… you'll see…**


	3. Leaving

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters created here belong to me.**

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* * *

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**Chapter 3: Leaving**

An advantage of being a waterbender was that you did not have to go out of your comfort zone to clean yourself up. Katara did not have to leave her tent to afford herself an uncomfortable bath at a lake or pond. All she needed was a good stream of water and the privacy of her tent, but as she tugged on the clothes she had become adjusted to since the Day of Black Sun, she began to wonder if that privacy had been invaded. Someone had been in her tent last night, and although they had laid a blanket on her lone body, she was still annoyed. Annoyance was mostly what she felt these days and, walking outside, raking her hair with a comb, it did not help that Zuko was seated on the pile of stones.

He lifted his bowed head. "Huh…" he muttered. He looked like he had been awake the whole night.

"What happened to you?" asked Katara, putting her hands on her hips.

"I… need to tell you something," he said, blinking his eyes, attempting to regain full consciousness.

"Before you start, I wanna say how terrible you look."

"Oh. Okay." He shrugged. "It's about your mother."

Katara dropped the comb, her eyes widening. "My mother?"

"I know who killed her."

Katara paced away and stopped, shaking her head. "W-what did you say?"

"I know who murdered your mother, and I'm going to help you find him."

Katara went back to Zuko, who had stood up. "Why would you help me?" she asked softly.

"Because if I knew someone did that to my mother, I would make them pay." His eyes narrowed at the shear thought of it.

Katara swallowed hard. "Yes." He looked at her questioningly. "I want to find him, and I'd like your help."

Zuko nodded. "So it's settled. When do we leave?"

"We need to tell the others first, but I want to leave by the afternoon." She looked around. It was late morning and the rest of the gang, wanting to steer clear of Katara's fowl mood, left the campsite vacant. She sighed. "Where are they?"

"Down at the shore. Aang wanted to show them how he's doing with earthbending." He jerked his head in the direction of the gravel path. "Let's go tell them."

Katara swept past him and they made their way to the hillside path. Upon stepping onto the rocks, Katara decided that she should make something clear to him first. "You _do_ know this doesn't mean I instantly forgive you, right?"

Zuko's calm expression did not waver. They trod in silence, only the sounds of crunching below their feet and the whispers of the rolling sea could be heard. The wind was light and refreshing when it kissed Zuko's face; now he was fully awakened. Katara's hair drifted behind her as they went, and she felt her hard expression melting. She breathed in the brisk, morning air. Today was one of the nicest days she had ever experienced in the Fire Nation; the sunlight was shining down normally, but the way it did made everything around her seem sparkling. Looking up, there were a few clouds in the sky – when they departed on this new mission, those very clouds would be the perfect cover.

She would have almost forgot about Zuko's presence had he not stopped dead at the end of the path. "Yes, I do know." He turned to her. "I'm not doing this to get on your good side, Katara. If this mission is going to work well, we need to cooperate. And that means we can't argue, fight, or anything like that. Otherwise…"

Katara nodded, her eyes down. He did not need to tell her what the consequences would be like if a mission such as this went wrong; she already knew. She could hear the others prattling away a short way down the shore, mostly belting suggestions on how Aang was to tunnel the earth successfully. If this mission went wrong, she might not be able to hear unnecessary talks like this anymore, she might not be able to fight the day Sozin's Comet arrived, she might not get to see what the outcome of this War will be like.

She directed her eyes up to look at his. "All right."

They moved onto the sandier part of the beach, and could see the other members of Team Avatar – as Sokka had christened their group – in a blathering, wide semi-circle. Katara and Zuko could tell Aang was protesting at something Toph was ordering him to do just by looking at their actions. As soon as Suki made an utterance, Sokka started laughing with affectation, and the ridiculous sound travelled down the beach all the way to the pair set on leaving for a mission. At that, Katara and Zuko began to make their way up to the group.

When they arrived, Toph had just finished sealing Aang in a mound of hardened sand. She dusted her hands off and grinned. "My sandbending's really coming along."

When Suki nudged Sokka with her elbow, he snapped his mouth shut. They were seated on a bench made of earth, presumably by Toph. Sokka coughed, sneaking looks at the others. "Uh, hey, guys," he said nervously. "Everything okay?"

Zuko put on a rather intimidating glare. "Why shouldn't it be, Sokka?" He threw a glance at Katara.

"Oh, right." Sokka laughed.

"Whatever." Katara clasped her hands at her chest. "We need to tell you something… something important."

Sokka's face seemed to dry up. "What did you do to my sister, Zuko?" he asked darkly.

"Nothing, I swear!" Zuko held his hands up with innocence quite suspicious to Sokka.

Katara shook her head. "He didn't do anything now." When Sokka rose to narrow his blue eyes, Katara rolled her own pair. "I'm serious, Sokka. You need to listen."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Zuko and I need to borrow Appa."

"Why?" Aang butted in.

Katara set her eyes on him gently but persuasively. "Zuko knows the man that killed our mom. He's coming with me to find him and make him pay."

"So _that's_ what you were asking me about last night," said Sokka, dipping his head knowingly. Zuko pursed his lips and nodded along as though it were obvious.

"He's going with you?" It did not sound like a question, but more like a sign of Aang's discontent.

"Yes, he is. And we need to borrow Appa. Please, Aang?" Katara looked hopeful.

"I don't know," said Aang.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're forgetting one thing, Katara." Sokka folded his arms. "I never said you could go."

"You're not the boss of me!" claimed Katara.

"I know how independent you are. But as long as you're my little sister, I have to keep you from danger – and this mission sounds _dangerous_," he added.

Katara was touched by his words, no matter how irritating she found them. Zuko was about to intervene, but Katara spoke up before he could get a word in edgewise. "This isn't just for me, Sokka – it's for you, Dad and Mom too."

"I don't know whether this is the right way to go about it." Sokka's eyes were on Aang. "She was my mother, too, and she-"

Katara's temper surged. "How can you say that? This man deserves whatever's coming for him."

"Katara, don't act as if I-" began Sokka.

"If you think we should spare this writhing gilacorn, you didn't love Mom the way I did!" said Katara, aggression in her words.

"What?" Sokka looked hurt. "Katara…"

"No, Sokka. I _need_ this. Whether I kill him or not, I need to face him either way." Katara's voice softened. Seeing his hurt look, she went up to her brother and placed her hand on his shoulder, guiltily. "Please, Sokka."

"You're planning to go with Zuko, right?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Do you promise to be careful?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise to stay out of trouble?"

Katara snorted. "This man _is_ trouble." When the protective brother was about to ask another question, she held up her other hand, halting him. "I get the picture – stay out of trouble. You don't have to keep reminding me."

"I promised Dad I'd keep you safe, okay?"

"Right."

Sokka closed his eyes and nodded once. "Fine. You can go."

Katara beamed and threw her arms around him, almost suffocating him with her hug. "Thank you, Sokka."

He smiled weakly. "Sure," he responded and patted her back gently.

Suddenly Aang burst out of the sand Toph had encased him in. He stormed down the beach with great speed, away from them all, a monstrous scowl on his face. Toph flattened the unsettled sand with a sweep of her foot. "Aang!" she called after him. But he ignored her and carried on, disappearing from view as he turned into the path.

Katara pulled away, her face relaxing out of the smile. "It should only take a few days." She stepped back to Zuko. "Let's get ready to go," she said.

"Hang on."

Zuko huffed. "What now, Sokka?"

"I need to talk with you first," he replied, "alone."

"Okay, then." Zuko left Katara's side and joined Sokka.

Katara shrugged and carried on in the direction Aang had gone. By now it was midday, the sun at its peak in the sky. Just before she reached the gravel path, she longed for her feet to tread over the heated ground, and removed her boots. On the underside she found exactly what she had stepped in yesterday: Aang's fallen moon peach. She grimaced; the splattered, overripe fruit was now crusty with sand grains. These boots needed a good scrubbing before she left. Halfway up the hill, the ground was becoming cold and the wind was getting stronger and stronger. _But wasn't it mild earlier on?_ Her eyes widened as she came to a conclusion.

Aang.

The waterbender broke into a desperate sprint. Aang could not be in the Avatar State, could he? He said something about a problem getting into it just before the Day of Black Sun. Reaching the top of the hill, the wind was overpowering her slowly. But she fought back, pushing forward further and further. Her eyes searched for Aang, probably suspended in that heavenly light, his eyes and tattoos glowing in unison as he prepared to bend all four elements with extreme power.

"Aang! _Aang_!" she shouted. "Where are you?" It was useless. There was no way anybody, not even Aang, could hear her voice under these conditions. When her hair unexpectedly stopped billowing around her, she ran to the campsite, her bare feet padding lightly on the ground.

Aang was standing outside her tent, blocking the entrance. He looked unusually angered, his fists clenched at his sides. Katara looked at him skeptically; he said nothing about the strong wind that had been flowing down the hill. His large, fierce eyes moved to look at Katara, and she knew immediately that something was wrong. His expression was too concentrated for something of anger, too hard for something of sadness. He looked as though he was trying to hold something back.

"What was that about?" she asked, panting. "I thought you were in the Avatar State. I was worried."

"I'm sorry," whispered Aang. "My temper got control of me. It won't happen again."

"It's fine, but just count to ten next time, okay?" she said with a playful smile. Her attempted humour had not worked on him. Her smile faded. "What's wrong, Aang?"

"You're going away… with Zuko."

"And?"

"And? You two are going away _together_."

Katara fought the urge to laugh. "Together? Aang, that's crazy. I don't feel anything for Zuko, not at all." She tried to walk into her tent, but he remained unmoving. She raised her eyebrows. "Uh, I need to get into my tent."

"You need to pack, right?"

"Yeah."

"I can't let you."

"What?" demanded Katara in disbelief. "This is unfair."

"I'm sorry, Katara. But I don't know how…" he drifted off.

Katara took his distraction as the opportunity to slip into the tent. She could not believe what Aang was saying; he was never like this before. He had always supported her beliefs and interests, yet here he was preventing her from something important. She blinked a few times, and crouched down, gathering her sleeping bag into a small bundle. As she was tying the string that held it together, Aang performed the delayed action of following her into the tent.

"Katara, please stop," he said.

She shut her eyes. "Tell me why you're so against this mission first."

"I can't…"

Opening her blue orbs, she tugged the string tightly with a small whipping sound as if to persuade him. "I'll have to go anyway."

Suddenly she heard a sniffling sound. "Katara… do you… love him?" Aang's voice was heavy. "Do you love Zuko?"

This was what he had been holding in. The tears. "This is only a mission. He offered to go with me, so I just accepted."

"Why _him_? Why can't you go with me instead? I've known you longer and better, not him." Aang's voice was pained.

"He knows who this man is, and he's been through the same thing as me." She turned to face the crying boy. "The Fire Nation took his mother away from him, too. That's why he wanted to go with me; because he knew what I was going through and wanted to help."

Aang sank to his knees. "When did he tell you all this? He's never told me or Sokka or Toph!"

Katara knew that her answer would upset him much more, but even so, this was not the right time for a lie. "Underneath Ba Sing Se."

Aang looked up. It was as though his tears refused to leak from his eyes. "Ba Sing Se? Something _did_ happen between you two!" he cried

"Nothing happened! We were talking, and that's it." Katara paused to consider for a moment as to why he was so concerned about her and Zuko forming a relationship. The answer she came to traced all the way back to the Day of Black Sun. She touched her lips, and released breath she did not know she was holding. Her hand fell. "I promise I'll come back," she said, hoping to avoid the other topic.

"You don't get it, Katara," he said with exasperation. The next three words out of his mouth struck Katara speechless. It almost felt like they had not reached her, and when they did, they sounded distant and unreal. She shook herself out of this daze in time to hear him say: "There! I said it: I love you."

"You…" For once, Katara could not think of what to say.

"I love you, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. I have ever since I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was you. You woke me up from a hundred-year-sleep, you saved me from capture, you taught me waterbending… And when I kissed you at the Invasion, I thought we could be together when I came back. But we aren't. Why not, Katara?"

Katara exhaled with the building frustration. She pressed her fingers to her temples. "It's too much right now, Aang. We're in the middle of a war. This isn't the right time for those feelings."

"Then when is?" he said quietly.

"I don't know."

"Tell me, Katara!"

"Please stop, Aang," she said. "I need time to think this through." She looked to the side. "Ever since that kiss, I've been confused. I really don't know about where our friendship stands anymore."

"But I need you, Katara, here with me," he whispered. "I don't want you to go. Not without me."

Katara stood and went to his side, kneeling down. She hooked her arm over his shoulders and the other around his front so that her arms met each other. He was now being hugged awkwardly by the reluctant waterbender. "If you're going to win the War…" She paused and gathered up the resolve to speak. "You need to learn how to stand strong by yourself, because that's what the Avatar must do. Of course, we _will _do our best to help you. At the beginning of this year, I promised I wouldn't abandon you. Remember, I never give up on the people who need me."

He touched his hand to her shoulder above him. "I'm sorry."

"We both know what has to happen now."

He shut his eyes tight, and began a string of befuddled babbling. "I'm really sorry, Katara. I overreacted… I was jealous… I thought you were going away because of me… I…"

She let go of him and moved back to the sleeping bag. "What has to happen now is that I have to pack, and you have to get back to training." Turning around again, Katara saw Aang standing up. Even sitting on the ground, he was much taller than when she first met him. They had all grown so much – not just physically, but mentally, too. "I still need to go, you know."

"I know. Appa's ready if you wanna take him. Be careful on the mission." He had forced himself into calmness, and turned and stopped at the flap of the tent. "And no matter how confused you are, I'll wait for as long as it takes."

* * *

Katara would have preferred it if Appa was, in fact, ready to be taken. The flying bison was still as sleepy as it had been when Aang and Zuko went out to learn firebending. Aang was trying to make up for their uncomfortable conversation from earlier in the afternoon by helping her prepare to leave. He agreed to fetching water for her other empty waterskin, and now on the pier below her, he was lifting up a huge puddle of the transparent liquid. He spun it into a tube, and leaning back on the balls of his feet, heaved and shot it up at a waiting Katara.

With precision she manipulated Aang's tube into her own, and could not resist forming a spiral in the air. Her bending is what gave her piece of mind. Behind her, Appa grunted. She stopped mid-spiral, and brought the water back down into a ball. It followed her like an animal on a leash when she moved to Appa's face. He was watching her with his beady, brown eyes. She brushed her fingers over his nose and rubbed it, the bison closing his eyes at her touch. Then he opened his eyes, grunted again, and tried to wriggle his legs. Katara peered around him, and noticed that one leg was not wriggling with the others.

"Oh, Appa," she breathed. "I'm so sorry, boy. I completely forgot about healing your leg. But don't worry, it's gonna be all better in a short while."

Appa heaved a breath, rustling the fur on his face and Katara's hair. She patted his nose once more and went around to his side. What she liked most about Appa was how intelligent he was. The flying bison even knew about her healing abilities, and once he saw the water, he tried to get her help. Katara began to think Sokka was not completely nuts when he said that Appa was a good listener; she cringed.

Pulling the water in front of her, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She focused her chi energy into the water before her, and not before long it was glowing. She pressed it delicately upon the surface of Appa's hind leg, and soon became a part of the animal. She felt his pain, and how it stabbed at him whenever he tried to move. She willed herself not to shed a tear, and investigated harder into how it had happened. A boulder rushed to her, and she did not see it, but heard the collision and the snapping. Appa's leg was broken, and it was going to take hours just to reconnect the bone. Even then, the bison would not be fully healed, for the leg needed to regenerate its usual strength.

She pulled the water away; the glowing ceased and her forehead creased. "Okay, I'm going to heal you now. Try not to move too much, boy."

This time, she pressed the water completely onto the bison's skin. She focused her energy slightly harder, felt a brief flicker of pain, and then it was slowly melting. During this part of the process, she liked to imagine snow melting. For simpler things, the snow seemed to melt rapidly, as though it had fallen on a summer's day. But the broken bone – something she had never healed before – took much longer. It was as if it was the dead of winter, and here she was trying to melt snow. Maybe she should take on a different vision.

The more she focused, the more she could delve deeper. She caught a glimpse of the bone, broken right in half. She let her chi energy flow into the limb by means of the water, and found an easier method. Like a child solving a complicated puzzle, she slowly pushed the pieces together. To speed up the process, she wove her arms in waterbending moves as if directing the chi. Her theory was correct, and finally the bones touched and became one. Now she could go back to the melting snow vision, and strengthened the connection like she would any other injury.

The water seemed to evaporate, and only droplets were left behind as she pulled away. Katara sighed, slouching with exhaustion. With a small shock she noticed that it was now evening, and the moon was high in the sky. She groaned, realizing it was time to leave. Walking around the bison, everyone was seated around a fire, a tin tray in their hands each with a fried fish and vegetables on top; Aang's plate held only vegetables and no fish. She frowned when she noticed that these vegetables were nowhere on this island – and neither were the fish, for that matter.

"Where did you get that food from?" she asked, sitting down and taking a plate with her own fish and vegetables from Suki.

"I went into town," answered Sokka.

"Okay, really, where did these come from?" Katara popped an ocean kumquat in her mouth; they were still not as good as sea prunes.

"I'm not kidding, sis. I went to a town and bought stuff."

Katara swallowed the ocean kumquat. "But this island is deserted. We're the only people on it."

"Why can't you just be to-the-point, Snoozles?" asked Toph. She shook her head. "He and Aang flew to another island with the glider, and they went on a shopping-spree in the village."

"It wasn't a shopping-spree!" said Sokka quickly.

Toph nudged Suki. "If you're gonna spend your whole life with _him_, you'd better get used to this kinda thing," said the earthbender.

Zuko finished off his dinner and set down the tray. "I'm gonna load Appa's saddle."

He went into his tent first to bring out his things. While he did, Katara put down her tray with the half-eaten fish and vegetables and brought her packed bags – one with her sleeping bag, the other with her clothes and accessories – out to leave them by the flap of her tent. Before he came out with his bags, she was sitting again, chewing her next mouthful. He put his bags down outside his tent and went to grab hers, taking them to the saddle.

With chopsticks still in her mouth, she noticed something sticking out of Zuko's shoulder-bag. While the others spoke of Sokka's spree, she sidled over to the bag and dipped her fingers inside. She retrieved that same book; _Love Amongst the Dragons_. Its cover was elaborate. Two dragons, one red and one blue, were interwoven, their bodies like sleek ribbons rising up from the bottom of the cover. The borders were done in scarlet with black lining, and were hand-painted intricately in inverted little triangles, showing specks of the warm caramel that was the colour of the background; much like a window shutter. The title was written in black with a thick brush, contrasting with the detail and neatness of the other parts of the cover.

As she was about to flip open the cover, Zuko came back. She dropped the book back into the bag and finished up the remainder of the food. He took the bags to the saddle and threw them inside. The rest of the gang, regardless of whether their meals were finished, got up and followed Katara around Appa.

"Oh, Katara, I think you dropped this." Suki produced a comb from her pocket and laid it in Katara's hand.

"Thank you, Suki." Katara hugged the other girl warmly.

When she pulled away, Suki said, "And I slipped something extra in your bag. I showed Sokka what it would look like, and he got it this afternoon."

"You didn't have to… but thanks anyway." She moved from Suki and hugged her brother. The siblings parted, and Sokka gave her a look. "Don't worry, I remember the conditions." She moved to Toph. "I'll see you in a while, Toph," she said. As she was about to turn away, Toph grabbed her in a two-second hug.

"You may be a total Sugar Queen, but you're my sister, sister," said Toph, folding her arms.

Katara smiled. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aang. She went up to him. "Goodbye, Aang." And she thought of touching his shoulder, but decided against it, and turned to the saddle.

Zuko's hand was ignored by her as she climbed into the saddle. "Bye, guys," he said.

"What're you talking about?" Toph frowned. "Get down here, Sparky! You need some love."

Grumbling, Zuko descended Appa's side. He said a goodbye to each person. Suki, a touch on the shoulder; Sokka, a short, boyish hug; Toph, at first a playful punch, but then another two-second hug; and Aang, a grip of the hand. He turned from them and climbed back to perch on Appa's head, holding onto the reins. Zuko snapped the reins and Appa rose reluctantly into the air, moving at a snail-skunk's pace.

Katara stroked Appa's side encouragingly. "Appa, yip-yip!"

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**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews! Really appreciate it.**

**It was part of the plan for Katara to only remember the healing now – I, myself, didn't forget :P **

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! **


	4. Ninjas in Long Coats

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters created here belong to me.**

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**Chapter 4: Ninjas in Long Coats**

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"I almost forgot to tell you something," said Zuko, seated on Appa's head.

Katara was resting against the rim of the saddle. "What?"

"Look in my bag."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Okay." She moved to the front of the saddle to kneel on her haunches – where she usually sat – and lifted Zuko's shoulder bag into her lap.

Inside, she found a lump of smooth, black material. Her eyebrow travelling higher with curiosity, she pulled out two pieces of the material, which were surprisingly heavy. She held one of them in front of her at arm's length, and ran her eyes up and down it. It appeared like a tunic from the waist up, with long, thin sleeves. The front was opened out, and to hold it closed a black obi sash was looped lazily around it. What Katara favoured most about it was how it came down in thick ripples; these were the culprits who added weight to the garment.

Katara set it down on top of the other. "So, how am I supposed to change into it?" she asked.

"You wear it on top of your normal clothes. And it's called a long coat."

"I've never heard of that before."

"That's because they were made in the Fire Nation, out of mianhua imported from the Earth Kingdom. They were going to be uniforms for the Yu Yan Archers, but since Ozai said they weren't fiery enough, they were put on sale for the public. But they're still very rare these days, so don't lose them."

"Sure. Thanks for the History lesson. How do you know so much about them?"

"I wasn't totally left out. They told me unimportant things like that, so I took what I got." He shrugged.

"When you become Fire Lord, why don't you get them to make some more?" She stroked the material like she would a meadow mouse, unconscious of her words.

"When…" pondered Zuko. It was definitely not a question.

Katara realized what she had said with a flush. Of course, the topic regarding the outcome of the War was a sensitive one. How was Aang going to defeat the Fire Lord? Would he be ready? And what about Azula and the Fire Navy and the power of Sozin's Comet? These questions fled by in Katara's mind. _No. There's still a few more weeks for the Comet to arrive. For now, I'll focus on our mission… for now… _

"Katara?" Zuko saw to the silence that had fallen. "Put on the long coat."

"Don't order me around. I'm only being nice because I want the mission to go well." She relaxed into a full sitting position, stretching her legs out.

"Nice?"

Katara sniffed and ignored him. She lifted one of the long coats and slipped it over her shoulders. The material felt softer when she wore it, and it clung onto her, becoming a part of her skin. She rose, shakily standing on her feet. The draping sides fell along her legs, and were quite light in comparison to when she first held it. She looked at her bare hands; something was missing.

"Gloves and masks are also in the bag," said Zuko, answering her thought. "You know, Toph said you were supposed to be good at going through people's bags."

"Haha, very funny," she responded dryly. Kneeling down again, she dug her hands into the bag and found two pairs of fingerless gloves and two masks; they both matched the black of the long coats. She removed her own blue gloves and tugged on the black pair, her fingers poking through the end. The mask came in the form of a piece of charcoal scarf-like material; she tied it around her neck. Using a shred of material from her old gloves, she tied her hair back into a loose pony-tail.

"Can you pass me my stuff?" asked Zuko, without looking behind him. After a moment of hearing Katara's fingers tapping on the saddle, he added, "Please?"

"Anything for you, Zuko," she said sweetly, and tossed him the new outfit. "Where did you get these things?"

He caught the bundle easily and, balancing on Appa, he pulled on the long coat. "I practiced my jet propulsion and followed Aang and Sokka to the market."

"Wouldn't you have been seen?"

"Airbenders can bend clouds, apparently."

"So can waterbenders."

"You're competing with the Avatar." Zuko gripped the reins tightly and tugged on his gloves using his teeth.

"No, I'm not!" Katara folded her arms. "Why didn't you tell me about your shopping-spree?" She needed to change the topic.

"You were healing Appa. That was too important to give up for a… supplies trip."

Katara looked away. "I hope he has enough strength."

"What?" Zuko flipped around. "What do you mean?"

"I healed the bone, but he was still weak and tired from _your_ field-trip with Aang. Where did you go, anyway?"

"We went to learn firebending. And don't _blame_ this on me."

"Where did you learn firebending from? Don't tell me you found a bunch of dragons."

"No, we didn't." He shifted awkwardly. "Why didn't you say anything about Appa before we left? We could've waited." He continued to look at her accusingly.

"Well, this can't wait. It's important to me, and we can't go on this mission right before Sozin's Comet arrives. We still need to prepare Aang just a little more. And watch where you're flying!" she added.

He turned to look ahead again. "You need to accept that he can do this, Katara."

She lowered her eyes. His words were so true. Another wave of silence fell over them, as each one ventured off into the haven of their minds. Katara imagined the Northern Water Tribe's icy wall melting, exposing its city to the outer world again, in accordance with the new peace. Her vision drifted off to an Air Temple, where there were hundreds of airbenders buzzing around the mountainside on air-scooters and gliders. Then came the Earth Kingdom, with Ba Sing Se's wall being fixed, and the Earth Kingdom banner covering all of the Fire Nation flags around the great continent. But, for a reason unknown, she could not imagine the Fire Nation in the new world. She opened her eyes, and saw Zuko. Yes, he would lead the Fire Nation into an era of peace… hopefully.

She then noticed the cover of a book sticking out of Zuko's bag. Plucking it out, she scanned the familiar cover. _Love Amongst the Dragons_. This book seemed to follow her wherever she went, and she could not help asking her next question. "Why do you have this book?"

"It's very special," he said quietly, without a single glance at her.

"Where did you get it?"

"Someone gave it to me."

"Who?"

"A very special person." His tone was quiet and almost heavy with an emotion Katara could not understand.

She opened the cover for the first time, and there was an inscription written in black with small, curvy handwriting:

_To my dearest Zuko,_

_Happy 8__th__ birthday._

_Enjoy your day, my love. _

_Today, you begin to understand more complex things, and what is better to start with than this book?_

_It should keep you company for those lonesome days._

_With love, from Mom _

Katara breathed. She hoped she had not offended Zuko. She ran her hand over the page, yellowed at the corners. Eight years ago, this would have been brand new. The ink of the inscription would have been shiny and fresh, written by Zuko's mother just for him. Now that she thought about it, Katara knew nothing of Zuko's banishment, his exile and his family life before it had all happened. But without asking, she knew why Zuko had this book; it was a reminder of his mother, just like her necklace was to her.

"I didn't know," was all Katara could think of to say.

"Don't worry about it."

"When did she… leave?"

"She was banished," he said stiffly. "She left one night, when I was eight. That's the birthday present I made sure to keep – it was the last one she gave me."

Katara closed the cover gently. She could not help but feel the slightest pang of guilt. When she was leaving on this mission only a short half hour ago, she had not imagined feeling something of sadness for Zuko. Though it was not for his past mistakes; it was for how unfortunate his story was. His mother had vanished, disappeared, and hers had been killed senselessly. Neither of the circumstances were favourable, of course, but his mother was probably alive, living somewhere else in the world. From Katara's experiences, she knew Zuko had travelled this world in search of Aang, in the process coming very close to what he was longing to find. She could not imagine the frustration he feels every time he comes even remotely close to finding his mother.

"What was her name?" asked Katara.

"Ursa."

"Was she the Fire Lady?" _Every lord must have a lady, right?_

"No. She was Princess Ursa, wife of Prince Ozai." He paused. "With the banishment, comes an automatic divorce. Ozai wouldn't dare hurt his reputation."

Katara raised her eyebrows. She wished she had not brought about this topic. They fell into silence once again, Katara placing the book back into Zuko's shoulder bag. She leaned on the rim to the right of her, letting her hair fall over the side. His story, no matter how short, had definitely appealed to her generous side; the one that she had decided to nickname 'the Painted Lady'. She felt as though she needed to do something to heighten his mood, to help him. If someone like Zuko could not find his mother, how would she?

She pushed the thought aside; her plan was becoming so complicated that she might forget about this mission – her mission. Still… the thought of a small boy with a messy topknot appeared in her mind. She was not sure how Zuko looked when he was half his current age, but she did her best. The furthest she could go with this vision was a silhouette, but tears were dripping down its face and onto the cold floor of the Fire Palace. Another figure, Azula, popped up out of nowhere, and began to smile – her bright, white teeth were enough to prove it. When Katara tried harder to picture Zuko's face, his scar smudged the face of a young boy. Then he grew to his full height, decked in Earth Kingdom clothing, and the setting changed to the Crystal Catacombs of old Ba Sing Se. Azula was fully grown too, and together, they blocked out Katara's vision with a rush of blue and red fire.

Katara's face was creased in a frown. She remembered her talk with Suki, and also remembered how difficult it was to forgive Zuko. The events of that night at Ba Sing Se kept flowing back every time she wanted to forgive him. It would take something big to make her able to accept what had happened in the Crystal Catacombs as a mistake. Her forgiving nature was locked away. Now she just had to find the key.

"I'd like to read it sometime," she said, breaking the silence. That was definitely not the key she was looking for, but she hoped he would grant her the permission.

"I don't need pity, Katara. You don't have to."

"I _know_ that. I just thought it looked interesting, so I want to read it." She thought of a reason, and pointed her finger skywards when she came to one. "Since it's important to you, I need your permission first."

Zuko sighed. "Sure. Just don't cloudbend it to shreds."

She pursed her lips. This journey should be ending soon enough.

"How much longer until we're there?" She sat up in the saddle, flexing her arms. "Wherever _there_ is," she muttered under her breath.

"_There_ is right in front of us," replied Zuko, pointing ahead at a great tower in the middle of the ecstatic sea. "The Lookout Tower. The place where all the information on the navy movements is kept."

Katara's tone became more serious. "So when we get there, we bust in, and get the information we need."

"No, actually. We need to enter as quietly and stealthily as possible, otherwise the Southern Raiders will be alerted, and by the time we get there they would have gone."

"The Southern Raiders." Katara tested the name on her tongue.

"Yes, and we're looking for the leader of the group," confirmed Zuko. "Appa, uh… yip-yip…"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Not like that." She moved to the front of the saddle. "Appa, yip-yip!" she called in Zuko's ear; he cringed and snapped the reins. Appa picked up his pace.

Zuko steered Appa to an enormous rock formation a few miles away from the lone tower. The rock, with a flat surface and then another tall rise jutting skyward, was large enough for a flying bison to hide on while Katara and Zuko left to the tower. Appa landed on the rock with a skid. Katara tightened the mask around her neck, covering her nose and mouth, and hopped off the saddle onto the rock's surface while Zuko slid down. He rolled his neck and moved to Katara, pulling his mask up over his mouth and nose. He nodded once at her.

With a swoop of her arms, Katara brought a huge wave up from the sea and held it next to the rock. She coated the tongue of the wave with a few more layers of water to strengthen it, enough to support the weight of her and Zuko. She stepped carefully onto the water and spread her arms out next to her. Zuko stepped onto the wave next to her, with his arms held out to help his balance. Katara took a deep breath and lunged forward, the wave speeding in the direction of the tower. The salty air of the sea batted her face and hurt her eyes; she squinted.

As they neared the outer wall of the Lookout Tower, Katara said, "Just a bit closer… get ready. And… _jump_!" She gave the wave an extra boost and sent them flying up into the air.

She had used a lot of power for the launch. Everything seemed to freeze as the two were suspended in the air above the wall. Thankfully, no guards were present. Splashes of water hung in front of Katara, and her hands were in the middle of grabbing desperately for the scuffed bricks before her. Time caught up, and slowly gravity dragged her back down. Zuko landed first, quite lightly. But time had caught up too suddenly, and in the nick of time, Katara pushed her hands out as she made contact with the ground. She tumbled once and landed heavily on her haunches with a grunt. She straightened up.

"Are you okay?" whispered Zuko.

"Yes." She nodded. Zuko held up his finger as she was about to speak again. Listening, she heard two voices coming from around the corner.

"Whoa, was that tide high!" came the first.

"I wonder if it'll ever flood the tower?" came a second, younger voice.

"Maybe. Let's go check it out," responded the first voice. The sound of footsteps followed.

"C'mon," hissed Zuko. He started off at a run towards their right, Katara following him wildly – he was much faster than her, and she was surprised at his speed. They dashed down a poorly lit corridor. Katara nearly hit into Zuko when he stopped abruptly at the end. She peered around him, annoyed that he had not given her a warning, and saw a plump, snoring guard, squashed into a little wooden chair. The beard sprouting from his chin and all the way down his chest made Katara wonder how long employees were allowed to work for.

Slowly they edged around the rounded corner to the left, the guard oozing out the occasional snort. Here was another corridor, as poorly lit as the one they had just sprinted down, except it ended in a shadowy dead end. Zuko moved down it more swiftly, with a certainty that made Katara suspicious. Again, he stopped abruptly, and Katara resisted the urge to scream. But then he bent down, his finger feeling around for something. He made a small tapping sound when he found what he was looking for – a rusted, brass grate set into the wall. He pushed his palms against the two lower corners; there was a glow and a pop as the screws jumped out.

Zuko yanked the grate open to reveal an enclosed tunnel that resembled the inside of an air vent. He stepped aside and gestured for Katara to enter first. She raised an eyebrow skeptically, but still dipped her leg inside and then the next. She found herself in an enclosed, cramped space. A faint, orange light shone at the end; she crawled towards it. There was a clank as Zuko closed the grate behind him and followed Katara down the tunnel. With a shock, Katara halted, her eyes wide. The otherwise darkness of the tunnel had misled her to think that the surface was flat all the way – it was not. The mouth of a deep hole greeted her.

"It's okay," said Zuko. "Stand up."

Looking up, Katara noticed that the floor jutted out only a little further than the wall; just enough for her to stand up. "I could've decided that for myself, you know." She found a gouge deep enough for her hand to clutch onto it.

"But you didn't know, did you?" Zuko's figure rose up beside her and gripped a second handhold.

"I would've found out eventually."

"Eventually." Zuko snorted.

"Don't laugh at me!"

"That wasn't laughing." Zuko tilted his head in front of them. "Now, before you _eventually_ find it, get onto that ladder and start climbing."

Katara, not bothering to find fault in his words, leaned out over the hole. She stretched out her leg, and the toe of her boot knocked something with a slight ring. She hooked the heel over it, and grabbed onto the rung with both hands, shifting herself over the emptiness below her. The ladder shook unsteadily. Glancing over her shoulder and finding nothing, she placed her hands over the next rung and the next. The ladder rattled as Zuko joined her and began climbing up.

"Are you sure this is safe?" asked Katara.

"Yeah, just as long as nobody find us," he replied from below her.

"What is this anyway? It doesn't seem like any ordinary vent."

"It appears like a vent, but it's a shortcut that only the architects and mechanics used to use. They've stopped using it ever since the elevator was installed. This ladder will take us to the very top of the tower, the Records Room. That's the place we're looking for. And before you ask how I know, my uncle brought me here with my cousin and sister before he left for Ba Sing Se."

"Oh." Katara had really wanted to ask if Zuko's uncle, Iroh, really had a son. She decided against it, since she had already interrogated him along the way here, and even interfered with the more personal matters Zuko kept. She climbed on, and saw the source of the orange light ahead. Another grate was set into the wall, just above the last rung of the ladder. Katara reached that last rung and, holding onto it with one hand, she reached the other forward. As she was about to yank open the grate, her hand plunged through the weak and rusted bars.

Unsure of how to go about this, she tried to pull her hand out soundlessly. And she succeeded in doing so, but the rest of the bars snatched onto the material of the glove. She almost lost her balance as her hand waved out behind her, trying to get the rusty remains off of her. After a good shake, the brass and rust released their hold on the material and fell down into the void.

There was a growl from Zuko. "Now the rust's on me," he complained.

"Let's go," Katara said, ignoring him. She crawled through the grate – now without any bars.

"First dirty water, and now this," muttered Zuko as he slid through behind her.

"Shh!" hissed Katara.

They were now on a ledge, made of thin layers of metal plates, surrounded entirely by pipes and poles. The entire room was blanketed in dim, orange light, emanating from countless lamps. A single aged female, in the uniform of a guard but with a different headdress consisting of a pair of blunt wings, was seated at a desk in the centre of the room. There was a candle – for an unknown purpose – next to the piece of parchment she was inking industriously. Her brush zoomed back and forth between the inkpot and the parchment.

From observing this, Katara knew exactly how to distract the woman for a few moments while they searched for the information. She cupped her hand in front of her and made a scooping action left and right. The ink in the pot followed her movement and slopped over the edges, splashing the woman's uniform as well as her parchment. The woman cursed and stood, rushing out of the room. Katara sighed with relief as she and Zuko used the jungle of pipes to help them down into the room.

"It should be here." Zuko pointed to a low shelf marked 'S'. He ran his finger along the rows and came to a stop at a tube with a sea raven as its emblem. He slid it out and opened it as Katara gazed longingly at a map of the world, spread across the wall next to the door. "They're currently off the coast of Whaletail Island. From here, that should be about four days of flying if we move fast. But considering Appa's condition, this might even take a week. Hey, are you listening?"

Katara blinked. "Hm, yes, I am…"

"What's the matter?" Zuko moved, cautiously, to stand next to her before the map. His voice settled into something of sensitivity. "This _does_ take long. Do you wanna turn around and go back? I don't mind-"

"It's not that." She looked down. "I wonder where my father and the others went. I hope they're all right, wherever they are."

Zuko turned away and slid the tube, the map of navy movement for the Southern Raiders, back into its pigeonhole. "No offense, but we have to get out of here quickly, before anyone notices we're here. We can talk about this later."

"No." Katara turned to him and pulled her mask down. "I'm not giving up on this mission. We're going to find this man."

"That's really great, but we have to leave before-" He paused at the sound of footsteps echoing in the hall. "Let's go," he mouthed."

Katara nodded. Zuko hoisted himself up to the pipes and climbed behind them, back onto the landing. Katara was right behind him, and she found herself scrambling. She reeled her leg in from between the pipes just as the door opened again, and in came the woman. She looked around the room with beady brown eyes and checked behind the desk for an intruder. She found none, and resumed her inking on a new page.

Zuko and Katara went back the way they had came; through the bar-less grate, down the shaky ladder, along the squashed tunnel, and back out the grate through which they had first entered the passageway. And all in silence, without any bickering. They left the shadows behind them as they made their way to the front of the corridor. The overweight guard was still in the same position on the little chair; the two edged around the corner again, moving in another 'u' shape.

They arrived at the outer wall, and without a glance at the churning see below them, they leapt off the edge. Katara threw her arms out in front of her and summoned up a sheet of water. As soon as they were about to make contact with it, she hardened it into an icy board. Their legs were bent, giving them good balance on the floating board as it moved ahead to the rock formation. Katara's hands were at her sides, keeping the board firm as she directed it with ease.

She could not help but feel eager for the mission lying ahead of her. It did not bring her joy, of course, but she needed stability and reassurance. And with Zuko's knowledge of the Fire Nation and navigation, she could find this man easily. So far, Zuko was irking her when it came to certain situations, but he was a certainly efficient partner for this mission. She smiled at the thought of Sokka's company at this moment. And then she thought of Aang. The young boy was reluctant to let her go, his confessions overwhelming, and he would be even more worried the longer it took.

Katara shook her head as she rushed them closer to the rock formation. _He said he'd wait. He needs to be patient. I just hope this is what he meant when he said that he'd be waiting…_

**Author's Note:**

**Always appreciate your reviews. Thanks!**

**I should probably tell you that 'mianhua' is Chinese for cotton. Apologies if I'm wrong, but that's what the dictionary said. **

**Katara's feelings in this chapter aren't romantic – since her personality is generous, seeing someone unhappy or in pain makes her… unhappy. And yes, she was quite inquisitive. The previous chapters' happenings are catching up to her, and she's unsure. **

**Sorry, I just had to clarify that. I hope you haven't forgotten about the moonpeach? Haha…**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter :)**


	5. The Ship

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters created here do belong to me.**

**

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Chapter 5: The Ship**

Zuko's finger trailed a straight line between a patch of fiery orange blotches and a group of cool white ones. Katara had watched him performing this action for the past five minutes; his other hand held up, and like a sconce, his palm was filled with orange and red flame. He balled his fist with the searching finger and held the jutting out forefinger to his lip, staring up at the starry night sky. Katara turned back to look at the air in front of her; it was her turn to steer Appa, and by watching where she flew, she was practicing what she had preached.

"What's the matter?" she finally asked.

"I wonder how long this should take us to get to Whaletail Island." There was a rustle of the page as he held up the world map. "Looking at this map, Aang flew us a similar distance to the island we're staying on, but much faster. I wonder how he does it."

"He's got a way with Appa." Katara smiled.

"No kidding."

She sat up straight suddenly. "You're not gonna force him, are you?"

"Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Besides the obvious," she muttered.

"You're pretty loud, you know."

"Well…" Katara tried to find a sufficient comeback. "Well, I hope you _did_ hear that." She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout and sniffed.

"I'm offended," he said flatly.

"Good. Now, what's the problem with the map?" She found that topic changes would be needed a lot with Zuko around.

"It's been almost two hours since we left the Lookout Tower." Zuko tapped the thick paper of the map. "So that should be about a third of the way."

Katara bent over so that her face was slightly above Appa's large eye. "Come on, boy, if you fly quick enough I'll get you some moonpeaches or prune melons."

"Tch, you're _forcing_ him," said Zuko.

Katara ignored his comment. She felt it when Appa's lazy flying became quicker and quicker, even more so than usual. The flying bison was an intelligent animal, and yet he accepted Katara's bribe. At this rate, they could probably arrive at Whaletail Island in half the time Zuko had calculated. _Math genius_. Katara refrained from snapping Appa's reins for the next half-hour. She was closing the distance between herself and the leader of the Southern Raiders. A shiver dashed down her spine at the thought of it.

* * *

As they flew, Katara tried to ignore the mixed feeling of uneasiness and excitement. She reached up an arm, intending a distraction for herself, and let her fingers skim through the weak clouds that provided them cover. After running her hand through an unusually long cloud, she reeled in her arm, the glove now damp, and clutched onto Appa's reins. She admitted that this mission would be quite a thrilling tale to tell to the grandchildren Aunt Wu said that she would have – when she realized that this man was probably more than just a murderer, she decided that it would be best to leave this tale until her grandchildren were of the right age. She sighed; she was more than ready to face the man who had killed her mother.

"Don't get too excited."

Her grip on the reins loosened. She turned to see that Zuko had been watching her, ever since she had bribed the flying bison. "I'm not excited. I'm just really anxious."

"Really?" He edged closer to the front of the saddle. "Because a happy person would want to snatch the clouds, not an anxious person."

"Why does it matter to you how I feel?" Katara turned away to look dead ahead.

"Take a look."

A spyglass suddenly dropped down from above Katara's head and into her lap. She scooped it up and pressed it over her eye, squinting slightly with the other. Upon settling her focus onto a small red dot, she gasped. Underneath the dot was a brass splotch, presumably the ship. The red dot was a flag, and that land mass next to it was none other than Whaletail Island. Zuko had told her that she should not get excited, but showing this to her was not going to help her feeling. In fact, this 'excitement' she felt scared her; only someone like Toph would be enthusiastic for a mission such as this one. Was it not always Katara who was fretful in a situation such as this? She lowered the spyglass, a frown on her face.

"Appa flew really fast in just an hour," she uttered.

"Appa didn't do all the work." He rested his arms over the front of the saddle and stared ahead.

She rolled the spyglass back over the rim of the saddle. "What do you mean?"

"I told you, I practiced my jet propulsion." He paused. "I saw how eager you were, and thought I could help."

"Jet propulsion… that's when you generate enough fire to fly, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you perfected it so much not even I could hear it?" Katara raised her eyebrows.

"That, and you were trying to bend clouds and steer Appa at the same time."

She snorted. "What is it with you and cloudbending? Does _cloudbend_ even exist?"

Zuko shrugged. "Only reason I told you not to get excited was because I was running out of energy."

"Oh, well, thank you for your effort… I guess." Her eyes fell. _Why are we talking so normally?_ Katara could not help feeling touched that he would speed up their flight just to… face a murderer? Sokka would definitely let the remaining four hours play out, instead of making the confrontation arrive more rapidly. But she still acknowledged that Zuko's shortcut was more preferable to her.

"All right, so we need a plan." Zuko sat up and moved to the back of the saddle again.

"A plan?"

"This time we're not sneaking around. We're going with your plan from before – we're busting in."

Katara nodded. "Fine. But we can't just fly over them and try to get on board like that."

"Naturally. We need to sneak up on them, and surprise them with our attack. Uncle nicknamed it canary jing."

"Appa's really noticeable. So…"

"We know that already."

"Stop getting impatient." Katara licked her lips and came to a conclusion. "The best way is to get them from underwater."

"Go on," said Zuko.

"On the day of the invasion – the Day of Black Sun – I went underwater with Appa. It's a waterbending technique which allows me to create an air bubble around us."

"And if Appa just does the swimming, we can get there easily," he finished for her.

"_Naturally_," she mimicked Zuko.

He rolled his eyes. "Submerge us now."

"It's time I told you how bossy you are."

"Could say the same for you, too."

"I'm not bossy! I just like things to go way I want them to."

"Yeah, bossy. Just take us under the water, please?"

Katara snapped Appa's reins and gave them a tug; Appa obeyed the command and flew closer down to the sea. Down he went as steadily as he could, and let his toes skim the surface. Katara stood up steadily, her legs bent in a waterbending stance. Appa, still moving, slowed down, idling along. She stretched her arms out and spun them around in an arc like a propeller, disturbing the water below Appa's legs. The disturbed water sprouted up around them, speedily forming a thin dome that looked like it was made of air.

"Dive, Appa!" called Katara.

He did as he was told, plunging underwater. His tail letting out a gust of bubbles, he swam them towards the ship; they could only see its underside in the dark light of the night. While keeping the air bubble stable, Katara looked at Zuko. His mask was still pulled up, but he was staring intently at his watery surroundings. She, too, began to look at the ocean; it was beautiful. She released a breath. During the Invasion, she did not have the time to look around. The sea life around her was a dazzling sight, even in the darkness. She could see the unique cat-whales, one of the many whale-crossed breeds that inhabited the waters around Whaletail Island; it had the front of a slippery cat with gills, and the tail of a whale.

A particularly small one – a baby, perhaps – finned its way with difficulty toward the bubble. She smiled, but then it moved to Zuko and tried to bump its head against the bubble playfully. Zuko was on his feet and coming to the front of the saddle, but the fish followed him along.

"I see you've made a new friend," said Katara.

"Right."

"You're not scared of it, are you?"

"No, I just… I'm off seeing small swimming fish."

"Why? You just ate fish before we left. How do you know-?"

"It wasn't swimming." Zuko cringed behind his mask. "My sister had a hobby once upon a time."

Katara gaped. "I really don't want to know. You don't have to be honest when you talk about her."

"You really think I'm being honest?" He raised his eyebrow.

"You've told me lots of things. Unless they were lies…" She trailed off. "_Are_ they lies?"

"No."

"Good, otherwise I'll cloudbend you to shreds." She paused – her tone sounded awfully teasing and unserious. "Just don't think everything's all fine now, because it isn't," she added. She had to change that previous tone.

Zuko huffed. "I'm not doing this to make you happy. You already know why I want to help you. And even if you hate me so much, you're going to have to put up with me until this mission is over. After that-"

"I don't hate you," said Katara quietly. And the words silence both of them, not just Zuko.

But Katara immediately forgot what she said; the ship entered her focus, and the only thought in her mind now was the Southern Raiders. They approached the side of the ship.

Appa burst out from under the water, the bubble popping. Katara twisted water whips in her arms and snapped them near the crew members on deck. Appa sent them flailing off the edge of the craft with a whoosh of air. To end off the attack, Katara dragged an enormous wave over the entire ship, rocking it back and forth, washing away any remaining crew on the deck. Only a single man was plastered to the outer railing of the great mass of rust.

As Appa landed on the deck, Zuko hopped off and jogged over to the man. "Where's your leader?" he demanded.

The man looked up weakly. "I-in the ma-_main_ cabin," he stammered.

"Thanks." Zuko plucked his finger off of the railing and let him drop into the sea with a wail.

Katara went to meet him. "You didn't have to do that."

"Are you forgetting who these people are?"

"No." She turned to a dingy passage hidden inside a doorway in the middle of the deck. The Southern Raiders did not take care of their ship by the looks of it; barrels and ropes and crates and liquor canisters were shoved in every possible place on the deck, taking up most of the stained space. It seemed her wave helped clean it up. She drew in a fresh pair of water tentacles. "Let's go."

Zuko nodded. He let her run up to the doorway first, following close behind her. They entered the passage, greeted by a cold corridor with identical iron doors along its length. Just as Katara stepped in front of a door, it burst open. She dodged the sharp twin swords with a jump. Behind her, Zuko gripped them by the hilt, yanked them out of their owner's grip, and shoved him back into his cabin with a kick. Katara clanged the door shut and he jammed it with the two swords. They continued, and came to a stairwell at the end; stairs leading up and down. She raced up the stairs taking two at a time.

"The main cabin should be at the top, right?" she said between breaths.

"Yeah." Zuko was running beside her, to her surprise.

Up, up, up they ran – how tall was this ship? Katara's question was answered after almost four long flights of stairs, each flight separated by a square landing. Her run was much too fast and desperate, and she found herself out of breath. Zuko made a gesture with his hand, holding it out evenly between them, telling her to calm down a bit.

At the end of this passage was a door.

Even after her unnatural tidal wave, all of the lamps in on this short passage were bright and shining. The heavy iron door at the very end of the short passage had the Southern Raider emblem, the sea raven, above the handle. On either side of the door were two spears, each with one prong. The Fire Nation flag was attached loosely to each of the spears, right under the sharp point. There was a lamp soldered to the doorframe of the ceiling, fitted with a dim bulb.

Katara gathered her nerves, regaining control of her breath. This was it; what the whole purpose of this short mission was. She shut her eyes, remembering. The look on her mother's eyes when she had first entered the tent, when she was just a little girl of four years. His cruel, raspy voice that threatened to hurt them if she did not leave the tent. How desperately she had run to her father. More selfishly, how she had to grow up with responsibilities meant for a mother, without the advice and support a mother gave. But Kya had not abandoned her family – the man her daughter was about to confront killed her.

"Are you ready?" asked Zuko.

Katara pulled down her mask with her water-coated elbow, leaving a smear of transparent liquid on her cheek. "I am."

She twisted her whole body in a circle and lunged at the door with such force that she grunted; the water tentacles left her arms in a blast of water and broke the lock clean off the door, throwing it open to reveal a man dressed like an ordinary soldier. The room he was in was not a bedchamber, but more like the chartroom of the ship where a captain would be found doing things involving navigation.

The man spun around. He was not a normal shoulder as he was not wearing the usual skeletal face mask. "What the-"

He was interrupted when Katara slapped him across the face with the last remaining droplets from her tentacles. He leaned against the darkwood counter beside him, taking in the shot. He opened his eye suddenly, the yellow-brown colour contrasting with the red sting on his cheek. He then threw out his arm, sending a blast of fire in Katara's direction. She was ready to deflect it, but Zuko's arm whipped out in front of her and, with an action that looked as though he were hammering the air, he separated the flames in half.

Katara's eyes widened. Zuko was more than capable of handling a mere soldier such as this one, who was part of such a small group that she wondered how official they could really be. But as the man recoiled from the flames unleashed by Zuko, she began to see what his strategy was. He would shrink away, pretending to be hurt or afraid, fooling the enemy, but then he would surprise them by coming back at full force. It was an underhanded thing to do, and Katara was proven correct when the man suddenly sent a few eyelashes of fire from his fingers. Katara narrowed her eyes. _Coward._

Zuko had already picked this up. With each new kick and punch of fire, he was edging closer to the man to corner and overpower him. But then the man stopped using diversions and started to fight. It was particularly slow, each one waiting for the other to make their next move. Zuko looked and moved as though he was not really focused and trying to win; he was more powerful with barely any effort. He had definitely improved since the time Katara had first encountered him – when he had been practicing the basics with his uncle.

When she felt that she could wait no longer, Katara raised her hands to try and bring the fallen water to her again. But when she did, she discovered something that had not even crossed her mind. She could feel Zuko's muscles moving lazily as he deflected another fireball, and then she shifted her focus to the other man. He was trying quite hard, and she could tell that he was middle-aged by the strength of his muscles and blood. Blood. The man Zuko was duelling with had given Katara enough reason to perform this technique on him. This technique taught to her by one of her own people. This technique that went against what Nature intended for man. _Bloodbending_.

She drew in a deep breath. She raised her arms, making her decision final. She closed her eyes, and felt every single move the man made – it was disgusting to actually feel such a sensation. She shivered, but she had to continue. The image of her mother crossed her mind before she fully invaded this man's. Her hands stopped shaking, and then her fingers curved into the shape of claws, gripping the man's blood and holding it under her command. He certainly felt it; she remembered the feeling when Hama had done this to her – right now, there were goosebumps all over his body.

Katara bared her teeth. She swung her arms as though she were pulling something with all her strength, so that her back hunched, and now her arms were in line. At the same time, the man's limbs were bound together by an invisible force known as bloodbending. Revenge in her eyes, she threw her arm out again, wriggling her fingers so that they curled to her palms; the man's arm flung out and hit the glass window behind him, his elbow twisting painfully due to her finger movements. She bent his other arm behind his back, and made him hold out the arm that was against the window. Sliding her foot in front of her, she got a firmer grip on his legs. She brought her hand up high over her head and brought it down as though she were chopping thin air; at the same time she stretched her foot further. The man was brought to his knees with his fists to the ground, his face held up.

Katara drew in a stuttering breath. She could feel Zuko's stare on her, probably appalled at this devious use of waterbending. But she did her best to ignore it and focus on the man who was rendered helpless. She did not know why, but she was beginning to feel faint and dizzy. She blinked continuously to keep herself focused.

Zuko recovered from his shock and turned to the man. "Do you remember her?" he hissed.

Katara released her hold on his throat, making him cough. Zuko raised an eyebrow, but the man took the opportunity to speak. "No. I haven't seen her in my life."

"Think back to when you were at the Southern Water Tribe. You killed her mother."

"I really don't-"

"Try! Don't tell me you don't remember the faces of those you kill!" Zuko was vexed.

Katara glanced up, and looked at the man as intently as she could manage. His eyes were now a nut-brown in this light… they weren't the eyes of the man who killed her mother. The killer's eyes appeared more severe, almost a red-brown colour. This was not the man they had come all this way for. Katara dropped her gaze, at the same time dropping all control she had taken from the innocent man before her.

"What're you-" began Zuko.

"He's not the killer," said Katara, with a certainty in her eyes. She straightened up.

"How do you know?"

"He isn't." Her tone was soft, as if it were about to break, and she turned away and went to the door. And then another wave of debilitation came over her, and she had to lean on the doorframe to support herself.

But Zuko was not done yet. He rushed at the man, a mess on the floor, and pinned him against the metal plate of the wall. "Then where is he? Where is the man who led the Southern Raiders if you're not him?"

"I-I am the current leader… but you must be talking about Yon Rha. He's retired now. Living on the island of Rongyan Shui. I have a map if you want. See, right there? And money-"

"Shut it," said Zuko, massaging the bridge of his nose after letting go of the man. He went over to the desk and picked up the first scroll he saw; it was a detailed map of the Fire Nation. Studying it, he found Rongyan Shui, a miniscule outer island right on the far left of the group of islands which made up the Fire Nation. "This is the map?"

"Yes." The man remained on the floor, and gave a single nod.

"All right then." Zuko tucked the map into his obi belt. "And, you, this never happened. Got that?"

"Yes, sir," piped up the man, giving a small salute.

Katara surveyed them weakly from her spot at the door. Zuko jerked his head in the direction of the passage; a gesture for her to lead the way. After letting go of her support, Katara wobbled for a few seconds before regaining her full balance.

"Are you okay?" asked Zuko uncertainly.

Katara stood still with her fingers pressed to her temples, her eyes closed. "Yes. I'm fine." She opened her eyes. "Let's go."

The pair dashed down the stairs. Zuko eventually overtook Katara, who, while he was not looking, repeatedly shook her head to stay conscious. She followed him down, wondering what the cause of her sickliness could be. _Maybe because I haven't used bloodbending in a while…_ She tried to reassure herself that she was going to be all right, though there was a growing pressure on her head that told her something was wrong. She silenced that thought, and went on reassuring herself.

Finally they reached the main deck. Appa had flown over the side and was hovering underneath the single maroon spike at the bow. Katara looked up and realized what was wrong. The night stretched out above her was starry and bright, yet there was no moon to grant her its energy. Bloodbending, the extreme form of waterbending, required a full moon to be executed well. Her anger of the moment had provided her enough energy, but when she realized the truth, her anger for the man in the cabin melted away and went to someone else; a man named Yon Rha. _Yue… did this have to happen now?_

"Katara?"

For the first time, Katara realized that she had stopped running. "Yeah?" she responded weakly.

"Come on. We're almost there." Zuko glanced in Appa's direction.

She nodded. "Okay."

She followed him all the way to the end of the ship. The thuds of their light footsteps over the deck were echoing in her ears, just like the pounding of blood. Maybe it was blood, but Katara could not tell. Her knees started to buck beneath her with each step forward. She busied herself with wondering whether Toph brushed her teeth and removed her headband before she went to bed. Slowly, she was beginning to lose grip on the consciousness. The thin line separating 'Awake' and 'Asleep' was slowly fraying and shaking, much like her head as she tried to clear it again. They approached the single spike. She climbed onto it behind Zuko without even noticing. She walked to the edge, stumbling. As Zuko's cautioning words grew illegible, she took a short leap high up and off the spike, and before she knew it, she was plunging through the air.

"Katara!" She heard Zuko's voice in the distance. She was being pulled back to earth by gravity. But it was over; a waterbender was actually going to drown.

And then something surprised her before the darkness etching at the corners of her eyes completely consumed her vision. She felt a sudden warmth beside her, as a pair of firm arms wrapped around her. Zuko was hugging her to his chest, and when she looked up, she saw that he had jumped off of the spike to save her from the fall into the water next to the bison. His expression was of seriousness. Time seemed to slow down; both of them were now airborne.

Then, as they were about to hit Appa's saddle, he twisted them around in mid-air with a grimace. She felt a thud behind her as Zuko's back made contact with the saddle before she did – he had broken her fall. His lifted his face, which had unintentionally buried itself in her shoulder, and gently slipped out from under her lacking form, easing her onto the saddle. Kneeling on one leg beside her, he turned her onto her back so that she could face the sky.

"Are you okay, Katara?" his voice echoed.

Katara blinked once, squinting. "Can't… hold on… I…" she trailed off, without making too much sense.

But it was enough for Zuko to understand. "Don't worry about it. Rest for now." He patted her shoulder, searching for a way to appear more sensitive.

The last thing she saw was Zuko's face, a concerned look in both eyes.

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**Author's Note:**

**And that's the end of the fifth chapter! Thanks for your reviews!  
When reviewing, I'd also prefer no flames :) **

**In these last few paragraphs, Katara wasn't thinking when she jumped off. She wasn't suicidal or anything.**

**Now, I hope none of you think this story is ending so soon… because, guess what? It's not! This is only just the beginning.**

**I'm sorry to say that from 11****th**** November to the 22****nd**** November I won't be publishing. I'll continue normally **_**after**_** the 22****nd****, of course.**

**Enjoy the next chapter!**


	6. Spinning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters created here belong to me.**

**

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****Chapter 6: Spinning**

Her lids were closed, but the sun shining around her tinted the cool darkness to a bright, sharp red. Katara opened her sky blue eyes. She was lying neatly on the saddle with her head resting on the front rim, which acted as a pillow. Her hands were, unusually, crossed over her abdomen with the right hand over the left. Her makeshift hairband, made with material from her old blue gloves, had been removed; only her hair-loopies remained. She blinked, her eyes slits, reluctant to open fully.

The blood had stopped pounding in her ears. She had forgotten why she was asleep, why blood had been pounding in her ears in the first place. She struggled to remember, her head feeling too lazy. But the word _blood_ triggered the flow of memories of the last things she experienced before passing out. She remembered becoming weaker and weaker. As she looked further back, Katara knew what the cause of this was. She sat up with a start – she had been bloodbending an innocent person. But when she did sit up, her palms flat on the saddle, a stabbing pain shot through her head and became a shiver as it bounded down her spine. She cried out in pain.

A hand reached out from behind her and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back down to rest on the saddle. "Be careful!" She was looking up at Zuko's fatigued face.

Katara squinted. "Huh?"

Zuko's face went out of her area of vision. "I said, be careful. You're still sick."

"Sick?" she managed. "I'm not sick."

"Yeah, because normal, healthy people pass out all the time."

Katara frowned and shut her eyes, but she remained awake. "What happened?"

"You don't know?"

"I mean, after I passed out. What happened after that?"

"I steered Appa away from there."

Katara placed the back of her wrist over her eyes, shielding them. "I know. Seriously, Zuko, what happened?"

He sighed. "We're on our way to Rongyan Shui, the island Yon Rha retired to. It's gonna take forever if Appa keeps flying at this rate."

"Is he okay?"

"I don't know. But let's just say you're not the only one who weakened. He's exhausted."

She raised her eyebrow, underneath her wrist, with difficulty. "How long have we been flying for?"

"Three days."

Katara started and sat up again, groaning in pain when she realized her mistake. She eased herself back down, wincing, before Zuko could help again. "Three days straight?" She paused and could not help asking her next question. "What about the bathroom?"

Zuko yawned. "What _about_ the bathroom?"

"How does a normal, healthy person hold it for three days straight?"

Although she could not see it, Zuko's cheeks pinked significantly. "We stopped a few times – but it was for Appa most of the time," he said quietly. His stomach moaned.

Katara removed the wrist from her eyes. "You didn't eat?"

"Not really."

"You didn't sleep, either?"

"Not really. Those times when it was straight flying I would take a short nap…" he drifted off.

She glanced around, feeling guilty that she had cost him food and sleep – it was important to most boys, especially Sokka. "Why didn't you stop to rest or anything? We don't have a deadline to be at Rongyan Shui."

"Doesn't matter." He shrugged. "Besides, the islands we passed are probably occupied."

Katara narrowed her eyes. "By who?"

Zuko sighed again. "The Fire Nation."

"Of course…" she muttered.

"I already told you how loud you are. I can hear every word you say."

"It's not my fault you were eavesdropping." _I really need to think of better comebacks_.

"Forgive me," he said blandly. "You're lucky you woke up when the journey's almost over. We should land in-"

Zuko was interrupted by a current of air rushing up from below them. Katara's eyes widened and she forced herself not to sit up again. She had felt this feeling before; was in a similar situation. She stuck her left arm through the decorative hole in the saddle, next to her. And just as she anticipated, her body began to rise up and off of the saddle. The world spun around her. Appa was crashing! But this time, they were falling much faster and she found her grip on the saddle loosening. She looked up with a panicked expression to see Zuko with a confused one, clinging onto the reins like a kite in a whirlwind.

"What's going on?" he shouted against the rushing air. His teeth were clenched as the air hit his face without mercy.

"Appa's crashing!" shouted Katara back at him. She felt another thud of pain collide in her head; she cringed.

"What?" Both of Zuko's eyes popped. "Damn it," she heard him hiss.

He pulled the reins, bringing himself closer to Appa's face. Just as he reached the bison, they left the cover of the clouds and tumbled right through. "Appa! Wake up!" He desperately patted the bison's head and face until he woke up. Appa realized what was going on around him and tried to halt the fall. With his current state of being, he was only able to slow them down – they were still going to crash.

As Zuko woke the bison, Katara was remaining attached to the saddle by just a forefinger. "Uh… Zuko?" She was uncertain as to whether she should ask him for help; he had already saved her before, and she might seem incompetent if she asked now. Her finger slipped out from the hole.

Fortunately, Zuko did not eavesdrop, but rather his hearing was quite efficient. He snatched onto her hand as she was about to fly off of the saddle. She grabbed onto his arm with her other as Zuko pulled the reins so that they were closer to Appa and his saddle. Katara's eyes widened yet again; Zuko frowned and twisted his neck to look over his shoulder at what Katara was staring at. He reacted in a similar fashion.

They were about to land – _crash_-land.

"Brace yourself!" called Zuko.

Appa dozed off again, unable to manage his overwhelming need for rest anymore. The world began to spin all over again, much faster than the first time Appa had crashed – when Azula was chasing them across the Earth Kingdom. The flying bison must have gained a lot more weight since then. Thankfully, the side of the island below – where they were about to crash – appeared to be deserted since only trees covered it until a volcano, medium in size, stretched up from the ground, blocking out the other side of the island.

Katara's grip on Zuko's arm tightened as they fell. Appa smashed heavily against the trees as he continued, unconsciously, in a nose-dive to the ground. Snapping and shuffling could be heard around them. Katara batted away broken branches, unable to avoid the leaves which went on planting themselves in her hair. She and Zuko each let out a wail as Appa hit the ground, skidding and skidding. He finally stopped, up to his forehead in dark sand and mud. Zuko was flung into the saddle and Katara was jerked forward and added to the pile of earth.

Zuko groaned from inside the saddle. "You okay?"

She lifted her face out of the damp sand. "Sure." She spat out clumps of leaves and dirt. "Ugh, now I know what Toph meant when she told me to eat dirt."

"She did?" Zuko chuckled.

"It's not funny." Katara pulled away from his clutching hand, slithering down the island's newest hill. She touched onto the ground and upon doing so, her legs seemed to melt away. She crumpled to her knees. "Zuko, pass me my sleeping bag." Looking around, she noticed that this was the perfect place to camp. It was quiet, undercover and was a tree-less patch of ground, large enough to be shared with Zuko. Appa had crashed in a remarkably good spot.

"And you're still bossy…" he commented. Katara's faded blue sleeping bag landed heavily in front of her with a _thud_.

"Thank you," she said between her teeth.

There was a slumping noise from Appa's side. A moment later, Zuko emerged with his own red sleeping bag. "Good night." He sank to his knees near a tree to the far left.

Katara gazed up at the sunshine, but found none. The afternoon sun was blocked out by clouds, of which a patch could be seen from this clearing; only a lethargic glow was given off from the sun. "You too." She began to crawl forward toward the edge of the small clearing.

"What are you doing?" Zuko asked.

Katara gave up her attempted crawling and turned to look at Zuko, who had spread out his sleeping bag beneath him but was looking at her. "Getting as far as I can from you." She said the first, harshest thing that came into her overworked mind.

He continued to stare at her. "You're impossible." He stood up and rubbed his good eye. Starting to her huddled form, he said, "Just let me help you." He made to take her arm.

She tried to pull away. "No, it's fine. I can do this myself." She tried to put another knee in front of her but winced as the pain, after just having simmered down for the moment, sprang up again.

"Katara." He kept his arm held out to her. "Stop trying to put up a tough front. This isn't a competition – it's survival. We need to work together."

"I hate it when you sound reasonable," she mumbled.

"I heard that."

She sighed. "All right."

Zuko took her left arm with his left and used his right arm to hook hers around his neck. He stood up steadily until he had risen to his full height; taller than Katara, and found himself bowing lower for her feet to remain flat on the ground. They limped awkwardly to a spot before the edge of the clearing where the forest continued. Katara had not realized it, but Zuko had her sleeping bag in his left hand, which curved around her arm so gently it was as though he was trying not to touch her at all. He bent down and let her fold into a kneeling position. Before he could try to help her with her sleeping bag, she took it from him, hoping to make the atmosphere less tense.

She rolled out her furry sleeping bag horizontally to Appa's buried nose, which was about five large steps away from her. She pulled her long coat back over her shoulders. Too tired to slip inside the sleeping bag – especially in a summer like this – she settled for lying on top of it, laying her long coat over herself untidily. But then Zuko, who had been standing beside her the entire time, bent down and smoothed the makeshift blanket so that it covered her arms and spread over the entire sleeping bag.

Before he could leave her alone and return to his sleeping bag, Katara gripped his wrist with her hands. "Thank you." She saw slight confusion when she looked him in the eye. "For saving me, I mean. And for… this." She released hold on his wrist.

He straightened up. "Sure." He trudged back to his spot to lie down uncomfortably on his sleeping bag. "Your brother did ask me to protect you."

Katara's eyes widened, sending another jerking shiver down her spine. "He did?"

"Yeah. That's what he pulled me aside for."

She closed her eyes, though still awake. "I knew it was suspicious how easy it was to let me go."

Zuko smiled faintly and rolled onto his side to face her space on the opposite end of the clearing. "Don't think I'm gonna go all _overprotective-brother_ on you."

"I hope not."

"So what do you wanna do now?"

"Just because we crashed doesn't mean I'm giving up on this mission. We've gotten this far and I'm not stopping now, no matter what Sokka-"

"Whoa, wait. When did I say I wanted to give up just because of a setback? We're finishing this, but we need a plan for later. Uncle Iroh once said that that was one of my biggest flaws – not thinking things through first."

She snorted. "It's pretty obvious, since no one's dumb enough to climb into the icy tundra at the north."

"Apparently you're not tired enough."

"Whatever." Again, she could not think of a sufficient comeback.

"How are you feeling?" Zuko surprised her with his question.

She opened her eyes to slits. "Not that bad. Just a little weak." It was a lie. The pounding of the blood seemed to get louder whenever she had a big emotion, her vision was so hazy and blurred that shutting her eyes was the best solution, and she felt as though she did not have the energy to waterbend. But aside from how she physically felt, inside her mind the thought of her mother – the reason for this mission – was beginning to overwhelm her, making her head feel tight. _I don't know whether I can keep it in anymore…_

"Rest a bit and we'll see what happens after that," said Zuko.

_I can't hold it in._ "You wanna know why this mission is so important?" she blurted when the thought of her mother pressed too hard on her mind.

Zuko looked to the side. "You don't have to-"

"The day it happened was normal. I was only a four-year-old and had no idea what real life was like. I was so naïve…" Katara frowned lightly, her eyes still closed. "I was the only waterbender there, and my brother liked to throw snowballs at me – he always called it 'testing me'. His last sloppy snowball hit me on my shoulder, and as I was about to throw one back, the strangest black snow fell from the sky."

"Soot," said Zuko automatically.

"Yes, soot. It came down just like normal snow, except if you stuck your tongue out, you'll end up swallowing a mouthful of ash. The last Fire Nation raid that'd happened was long before Sokka was born, but my Gran-Gran had told me exactly what it would look like. Everyone in our village had noticed and were rushing the children back inside. The warriors all gathered at the small entrance arch into the village and then the fight began. I told Sokka that I was going to find mom before he ran off to join the fight with his little boomerang.

"I ran quickly through the snow, noticing that I was the only other kid outside. My mother was always worrying about us, and I knew something was wrong the moment she didn't come to take us inside. I reached the main tent our family lived in – my father's the chief of the tribe. When I got there, I slipped inside and there was a man there, his fist pointed at my mother who was on her knees. He was asking her who the last waterbender in our tribe was. It was me, of course. I was confused because she denied it, and when I called to her and protested and tried to make her come with me, she told me to get my dad. The man said that his sources were that there was another waterbender, and he kept threatening to kill me, so I finally panicked and began to run…"

"Don't force yourself, Katara." Zuko was beginning to regret letting her go on with this topic.

Katara's voice cracked as she went on. "When my dad and I got there, the man was gone. And she – my mother – was, too. There was no blood; just her lying there, staring at me with eyes filled with nothing. I began to cry, and my father shielded my eyes and let my Gran-Gran take me away. But I wasn't crying _just_ because I'd lost the most important person in my life. I was also crying because I've never seen her eyes so… empty, without any feelings left.

"As I got older, I started to hate that man, even though I didn't know him. I wasn't like most girls in the tribe and while they were sitting, chatting and braiding each other's hair, I was doing chores. The only reason I did chores was because my _mother_ had taught me not to be selfish." She shut her eyes and a single tear squeezed out, rolling down her cheek.

"Katara…" Zuko still sounded tired, but also uncomfortable that he had encouraged her to divulge her past.

She sniffled. "Sorry I made you listen. I kept thinking about it and then it suddenly just came out."

"Well, I know a little more about you now. I also understand why this means so much to you, and now that you've told me, I'm not gonna suggest giving up anymore – that okay?"

"It's good, because I'll turn you into a lump of ashes if you suggest it again, Sparky." She tittered lightly, rubbing away her tear.

"Right… _Sweetness_," he retorted.

She sighed – maybe talking normally to Zuko would not be as bad as she had first thought. Maybe she could experiment and toy with the idea until she had made her decision about him. Suki was beginning to sound more and more correct, but before she could remember the details of their conversation, another pang in her head caused her clench her teeth together. Rest was what she hoped would help her condition.

"Good night," she murmured.

"It's almost the end of the afternoon."

"And I'm tired and going to sleep. You don't expect me to say afternoon instead night, do you?"

He yawned, rolling over onto his back. "No, but it's fun how worked up you get after I prove something to you."

"I do not-"

"Shh, I thought we're going to sleep now," he said in a stage whisper.

She cleared her throat and turned on her side to face the trees behind her, away from Zuko. "We are. Good _night_."

He chuckled. "Good night, Katara."

* * *

Katara woke up for the second time that day, to find that it was in fact, _night_. She bit her lip and sat up slowly, testing for any feelings of pain in her head. There were none. She breathed with relief and took in her surroundings. The shadows of the trees were looming over her, cast by the pale light falling from the stars in the inky, blue night sky. There was a rustle of leaves and out of instinct, whipped her head around in that direction. Instead of finding a fearsome creature, she saw Zuko, who had wriggled free from his long coat.

She noticed he was not wearing that typical frown on his face, but instead a peaceful look with his eyebrow raised slightly. She stifled a giggle; this expression was so different to the few she had seen. As she was going to crawl inside her sleeping bag, her bladder called out to her. She gulped. _He said three days – that's how long I didn't…_

"Oh, great." She huffed, standing up awkwardly, almost tripping over her makeshift blanket. She froze, seeing Zuko's frown return to his face and the grip of his hand on the edge of his sleeping bag tighten. After a few moments of steady breathing and intense frowning, Zuko's expression finally reverted back to his calm, peaceful one. This time, she tiptoed rather hastily around her sleeping bag to the edge of the clearing and vanished off into the forest.

After following the procedure of relieving her bladder, Katara decided to do some exploring. She moved in an easterly direction, tramping over twigs and leaves and earth. She spotted another clearing in front of her, making for it excitedly. As she stepped out into the clearing, her tunic caught on a jagged branch, jutting out from a thick tree. With a grunt, she pulled and pulled, and after a loud ripping sound, fell onto the ground in a heap. She pushed herself to her feet, scowling, and examined the long tear in her tunic running from her knee right up to her waist.

She heaved a sigh and looked up. What she saw before her melted her irritation away, replacing it with wonder. There was a sparkling, clear pond set into the ground right next to a great, rocky crag. Her eyes travelling from the base of the crag up, she saw a slim thread of water running down it and into the pond, but it looked as though it was not making a change to the amount of water inside that pool of water. She walked up to the water's edge; her reflection stared back at her with a hypnotized look, and if she peered harder and deeper into it, she could make out the bed of the pond, with white sand instead of the forest's muddy brown.

Katara stroked her fingers over the surface, sending ripples in a crescendo along the water. She snapped herself out of her trance before she stuck her whole arm inside the water. She put her finger to her chin, looking back in the direction she had run in and using the few landmarks she knew. _If I ran north-west from the campsite, then east to get over here, the campsite should be in a southerly direction from the pond._ She turned to face the forest behind her and broke into a run in a straight line. It felt good to be running again especially after recovering from her weakened state, even though she was not that fast a runner. Her hair blew behind her as she went, batting away and ignoring the twigs in her path.

She skidded to a stop when she arrived at her destination, proving her estimations correct. She planted her hands on her knees, panting, and after finally regaining her breath, licked her lips and straightened up again.

Before Katara went back to lie on her sleeping bag, she spotted Zuko's form once again. A breeze blew by, making her shiver; the night had become surprisingly cold. He did not have any covers on him, and seeing him lying there in his normal clothing – without even his long coat – appealed to the Painted Lady. She stepped over to him as quietly as she could, hoping he would not wake up. She picked up Zuko's long coat and took a few more steps until she was beside the sleeping Zuko.

She opened it out and laid it on top of him carefully, making sure it covered his whole body. His hand jutted out from under his new makeshift blanket; she bent down and tucked it underneath the cover. As she went back to her sleeping bag, slid into it and closed her eyes, a feeling of familiarity rushed over Katara. She could not remember performing this action before tonight, but it evoked a feeling inside of her that she had felt before. The feeling traced back all the way to before they had left on this mission. Sure, by doing this she was repaying him for helping her this afternoon, but there was something else, too.

At last Katara came to a conclusion before she drifted off into a pleasant sleep. _So it was Zuko who covered me with a blanket that night…_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for your reviews! I liked all of them!  
Preferably no flames when reviewing :)**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was actually one of my favourites to write (out of these first six). The title 'Spinning' can refer to many things seen in this chapter, not only Appa crashing. **

**In case it's hard for you to picture the first clearing – the new campsite – they're staying in: imagine a normal clearing similar to the one at the beginning of **_**The Puppetmaster**_**, with Appa's nose – and some mud – just sticking into it, Zuko's sleeping bag to the left of the nose against the trees, and Katara's sleeping bag way opposite Appa's nose. There's a space in the very middle.  
The "icy tundra at the north" is the arctic plains Zuko escaped with Aang onto, way back during the **_**Siege of the North**_**.  
Remember, Katara nicknamed her generous side the 'Painted Lady'…**

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter – even though I really should be studying instead of writing… Wish me luck for exams ;)  
I'm not sure whether I'll write during the next 18 days, but after that it'll all go back to normal. To make up for it, I'm going to be publishing another oneshot quite soon…  
I'll definitely do my best for this story, though :)  
**


	7. The Celestial Benders

**Pre A/N: I am finally free to be writing again :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters/locations created here belong to me.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 7: The Celestial Benders**

Katara's contentment with Zuko's sleeping state was brought to a close when the firebender opened his eyes, that 'soft' look disappearing and being replaced with confusion instead.

"What in bacui berries are you wearing?" he asked, sitting up by propping himself on his elbows, still lying on his back.

He had a good reason to ask, for Katara was wearing an outfit very different to her usual faded-blue tunic and breeches. Her feet were covered with soft, black pumps instead of her usual boots, which had been placed neatly with her sleeping bag next to the tree behind her. She had been shocked to find her old pair of leggings with her, since she had not worn them since they left west Earth Kingdom. Their midnight blue material molded perfectly onto her legs, and she felt that familiar feeling of lightness and comfort. The tunic she wore was the part that mainly concerned Zuko; it was a cornflower blue halter-neck garment, coming down to just below her calves with two slits on the sides for her legs from the bottom to her mid-thighs. A white obi sash tied it together, covering the material on her waist from her hips to the first of her ribs.

Katara just finished clipping her mother's necklace around her neck when Zuko awoke. She whirled around to face him; the new tunic appeared to be wrap-around just like her other tunic had been, one white streak crossing over another – which continued down to the obi sash – at her chest.

"Hey! How long have you been awake?" she demanded, an embarrassed frown gathering on her face.

"Not long."

"You're many things, Zuko – a liar, a traitor, a bad tea-server, a bad tea-maker, a bad joke-maker, a bad dancer-"

"Get on with it," he interrupted.

She put her hands on her hips. "You're all those things, but I didn't think you were a pervert."

He snorted and got up from his sleeping bag, his long coat falling to the ground. "I'll try to control myself," he said flatly.

Katara rolled her eyes and turned back to pick up her boots; the halter-neck was also backless, but she had willingly expanded her sarashi lower over her back to cover up the area that would have been bare. "We need to think of a new plan."

"Already on it." Zuko's head popped up from the saddle to look down at her.

"Whoa!" She dropped her boots again. Her shoulders sagging in disbelief, she said, "How did you get there?"

"Like always."

"Did I mention you're also sneaky?" Katara snatched up her boots and stomped over to Appa, opposite her end of the new campsite. She heaved herself up into the saddle. Zuko was staring at a piece of parchment, and when his expression changed to satisfaction, Katara blinked. "What is it?"

He looked up from the world map spread over his lap. "You know the name of the island we crashed on?" he asked.

She laid her boots in the far corner from the front of the saddle where Zuko was seated, and rested back on her knees. "No."

"It's Rongyan Shui." He cracked a slight smile.

But Katara grinned widely. "It is?" She made her way over to his side and sat down, leaning against the rim and spreading her legs out in front of her.

Zuko handed her a corner of the map and moved over so she could see easily. "Right here, in the corner." He tapped his finger on a volcano in the far-west part of the Fire Nation.

She read the tiny ink. Indeed, it was Rongyan Shui. "A volcano…" She twisted her neck right to look in the direction behind her, though with the trees in the way she could not see a thing. "This entire island is a volcano?"

"Apparently. We must be on the deserted half of the island, so we're in luck."

"How can you tell?"

"This little hut symbol stands for human settlement." He pointed again.

Now that she knew what they were, an abundance of the little hut icons jumped out at her, placed at various points on destinations on the map. "Cute."

"Sure," said Zuko uncertainly. He rolled up the map and placed it on the floor of the saddle next to him and turned back to her. "So now we just need Appa to recover."

Katara took a deep breath. "I'll heal him, but my abilities are still pretty weak since…" She drifted off, remembering the sea raven flag on the iron door, which she had seen when they were in the ship.

"I've never seen anything like that before," he said, glancing at her. "What was that… power?"

She stood up quickly. "Something I'm not very proud of." She hopped off the saddle and landed on the ground on one knee.

"Hey, wait," he said, jumping down after her as she went to her side of the campsite and sat down in front of her sleeping bag.

She drew her knees to her chest and rested her cheek on the one, looking off to the side with a regretful expression. _Hama, it's your fault this happened – I think… I hope… _She shut her eyes.

Zuko could tell that this was not the time to talk to her about this topic. This girl was so fickle; one minute she would be teasing and talking to him, then the next she would be sulking and frowning. He wished there was a way he could handle their conversations in such a way that it would not end like this. He could not pretend that she had not divulged her past with him last night, and he thought she would be able to tell him with ease about those few days ago on the ship. He had obviously thought wrong.

"When did you even get that outfit?" He thought up the most irrelevant question possible and blurted it out. To his relief, she opened her eyes and looked up.

"Suki packed it for me. Plus, my other one ripped."

"I remember when she got it for you." He seated himself on his still-unrolled sleeping bag.

She sat up straight. "What _did_ you guys actually do on that shopping spree?"

"Supplies trip," he corrected.

"Whatever."

He scratched his head. "We bought stuff."

"Of course." She let go of her knees and let her legs fall in front of her, gazing at her pumps which had not been worn in such a long time.

"Where did you go last night?"

Katara was shocked that he knew of her absence. "Why?"

"How else could you have ripped your tunic? Lying on a sleeping bag can't rip a tissue," he added.

"I was exploring. And I would fix it, only I haven't got mianhua or anything."

Zuko made to check in his shoulder bag, flopped next to him on the ground. "I might-"

"You don't," confirmed Katara before he could even peer inside.

"How do you…?" He frowned. "Did you…?"

She twiddled her thumbs. "I had to check you weren't carrying anything suspicious. That, and I went looking for mianhua before you woke up."

"_You went through my stuff_."

"Please, Sparky, it was bound to happen sometime." _I don't care whether I sound playful anymore. It's… actually coming naturally now._

Zuko could not grasp the concept. "You went through my stuff, _while I was asleep_."

"Back to the exploring, I should probably show you something I found."

Zuko shook his head and leaned forward to kneel on one knee, his boots stamping on the still-unravelled sleeping bag. "What is it?" he asked, recovering.

"A pond. It could be helpful while we're stuck on this island."

"Then lead the way."

Katara nodded and stood up. She gestured for him to follow her into the mass of trees and together they began the walk directly north toward the pond. The twigs and dry leaves crunched beneath their feet as they went, following Katara's trail marked with broken branches from last night. The sudden intensity of the sun's heat pushing past the shelter of the canopy indicated the coming of noon. The usually cool shadows became hotter and more humid. She looked around and concluded that they would be arriving at the pond shortly.

"It's called bloodbending," said Katara, stepping over a surfaced root.

"What?" Behind her, Zuko frowned as he did the same.

"That thing I did on the ship. You're lucky I felt bad, otherwise I wouldn't have told you anything."

"Right. Wh-"

"I'm not gonna explain because you know what it is." She glanced up at the canopy, half-expecting the sun to be there, and huffed as a heat wave rushed over her. _The Fire Nation summer is the worst._

"Actually, I was checking why you're upset about it," he said, rubbing his forehead with the back of his wrist.

"I have every reason to be upset about it." The heat was beginning to aggravate her.

"I'm not trying to argue with you. I'm just seeing if you're okay."

"So _don't_ argue!" She huffed again. "Yesterday you said you wouldn't."

Zuko paused before replying; he thought could hear voices up ahead. How could someone else be here in this area? There was not meant to be any human life around these parts. "Sh, Katara, I think I hear something."

"What now?" she demanded very loudly.

This time for sure, he heard the voice of a woman up ahead in some sort of clearing.

Just as Katara's elbow jutted behind her as she made another stride, Zuko snatched hold of it and pulled her back against him. She almost let out a cry but his hand covered her mouth, muffling her successfully. She felt Zuko moving his back up against a tree, yanking her with him. He held her wrist against her back, holding her slightly away from him, trying not to invade her space – any worse than this. She scowled under his hold and tried to step on his foot, but ended up injuring her own when it made contact with the toe of his hard boot.

"Listen," he hissed in response.

When he was sure she would obey him, he released hold of her mouth and moved his hand against the tree, trying to edge closer to the voices to improve his hearing. Katara tilted her head to the side, but the murmurs did not grow any clearer. Zuko let go of her wrist and tried to edge more around the tree; he caught a glimpse of the area in front of this tree. If they moved a little further, they would not be seen by the speakers.

"Come on," he whispered, motioning to the trees in front of them with a finger.

They left the cover of the huge tree trunk and crept closer, moving with stealth, trying to make out these all too familiar voices. Katara forgot how frustrating the situation was, and became eager to see the speakers when they edged away. As she passed a tree, she used her hand to support her as she stepped onto the root to peek through the branches. The two figures were at her pond, light spilling into the clearing. When her eyes finally adjusted, she let out a tiny gasp at the sight and nearly lost her footing, stepping heavily on a mound of twigs.

"What was that?" hissed the voice of a man.

"Be a man and see what it was," answered the smooth, loud voice of a woman, who seemed not to care what was lurking in the shadows.

Zuko, who had been leading the way closer, flapped his hand, signalling for her to hide. She twisted around in her wobbly position on the roots and ducked behind the same tree; Zuko followed her around the other side of the tree. He held a finger to his lips, to which Katara nodded, even though she was slowly getting annoyed with his orders. They listened to the next exchange between the supposed strangers.

"Well, see anything?" asked the woman.

"Nothing. It must have been a squirrelmonkey – but rest assured, the next time I'm here I shall hold a hunting expedition," added the man disdainfully.

Katara turned to Zuko with a wide-eyed frown, and he narrowed his eyes when responding to her look. The attention seemed to shift from them as the man and woman continued their conversation further into the clearing. Katara jerked her head to the side and turned around so her body was pasted onto the tree. Carefully, she poked her head around the side and took in the sight that had surprised her just a while ago.

Yes, she had been correct. Next to the ever-sparkling water of the pond, stood two people neither Zuko nor Katara had seen in a long time. Jun, the bounty hunter, and Long Feng, the previous leader of the Dai Li.

"Next time you'll be picking up the beast and bringing it back to your Her Highness Zappy," pointed out Jun.

"I won't have to answer to my previous officers anymore. In fact, I will be commanding them once again." Long Feng definitely had a reason to be on this island.

The words from this man's mouth were bringing back all of the memories of the gang's last Earth Kingdom pitstop, Ba Sing Se. One in particular nagged at Katara's mind. It was one that had earned her many bad dreams, many regrets. If she had only been quicker, it would not have happened. Of course, there was no confirmed proof of it, though the statistics were very bad. She felt heaviness behind her eyes as tears began to form, but she was angry, just like when the Freedom Fighter who betrayed her emerged before her eyes so unexpectedly. She was going to make Long Feng pay for what he did to Jet.

She was about to leave the tree and move forward at a run when Zuko's hand clamped down on her shoulder, successfully halting the blowing of their cover. "What are you doing?" he whispered so softly, it was as though he mouthed it.

She matched his quietness. "Long Feng killed Jet. I have to-"

"No… not yet. We need to know their agenda."

"Fine." She pursed her lips and resumed her post behind the tree.

Meanwhile, Jun was rustling branches over somewhere in the clearing. Long Feng was looking in her direction when the bounty hunter's shirshu, Nyla, moved up to him with a grunt and sniffed him from head-to-toe. He pushed the inquisitive pink, tentacle-like nose away in disgust and wiped his hands down the front of his tunic.

"Oi, Feng, I found just what we're looking for," called Jun, walking back to Long Feng. "In the corner, Nyla, you'll get your treat later. First, I have to focus on getting mine."

Long Feng sighed. "What did you find?"

Jun smirked and held up a long trip of faded blue material. "I found it caught on one of those trees. By the looks of it, it's Water Tribe."

"Water Tribe…" repeated Long Feng.

"Yes, Water Tribe. And you know _who_ is Water Tribe?"

"The waterbender-girl who's always with the Avatar."

"Exactly."

Back behind the tree, Katara's face was heating up. She had been foolish to leave behind such an obvious clue. She did not think anything would be, and even if she had, why would it mean something to anyone else? Her brother might have inquired about it, but Jun of all people was the least-expected person. She pulled in from around the tree so that she was fully behind it, her back pressed to the trunk. Zuko gave her a hopeless glance; she frowned back at him.

"And you know what else, Feng?" continued Jun. "The scent will be even more familiar to Nyla, since Zappy's brother, uh… _Scarface_ already used her scent before."

"Excellent. I expect the results to be good, too," said Long Feng, surveying Jun suspiciously.

It was now Zuko's turn to look down and creep away from the edge of the tree. He leaned against the wood, next to Katara, and stared at the muddy ground beneath their feet. This did not help his feelings regarding his betrayal of the gang in Ba Sing Se, and all of the misdeeds before that. If only he had realized sooner what his purpose was, maybe he and Katara would not have been hunted down by an unscrupulous old man and a neutral yet crafty woman.

"You'll take what I give you," snapped Jun, the atmosphere becoming darker.

"And what you deliver had better be the best, otherwise you're not receiving a single coin."

"If I'm not paid for this mark, then you might as well _walk _away now." Jun nodded at Nyla, who barked in agreement.

"I don't plan on walking," said Long Feng smugly. "I plan on flying away on the back of the Avatar's bison." Behind the tree, Zuko and Katara's eyes widened.

"Hm, so you do need my service…"

"I don't _need_ it. It happens to be the most convenient source I have at this moment."

Jun cackled, making her way to Nyla and climbing into the saddle. "Because your officers are against you?"

Long Feng narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate me, Jun. You're wanted in most parts of the Earth Kingdom and maybe even the Fire Nation. Face it, you're on the run, and you're running out of places to go. If you help me, all of your crimes will disappear-" he snapped his fingers "-and you'll be able to return home. Looking at the overall picture, you need me as much as I need you."

"Aw, so what if I do?" she cooed falsely.

"No games."

She snorted. "But of course. You're also in a situation – what, you have to answer to those identical witches, Zappy and your ex-officers? Feels like a big slap in the face, doesn't it, Feng? Honestly, I don't care how long my _running_ is gonna be for. But you are on the line – heck, you're about to be put to death by a little girl!" She became less mocking as she spoke. "Now, I have all of the evidence, and therefore you wrapped around my prickly finger. Your ship is leaving now – don't get poked."

She cracked the whip and the shirshu reared back before charging off through the forest in the opposite direction. A stunned Long Feng was left behind, gaping, his green eyes wide. This woman was despicable. She was very clear in what she meant – no beating around the bush, no forced courtesy; a dangerous entity with qualities admired by Long Feng. If she were to produce good results for this mission, she would have a bright future as a leading officer in his army… his new world. Long Feng turned on his heel and walked in a westerly direction through the forest; his plans would have to wait until it was the right moment to strike.

When Zuko and Katara were sure the coast was clear, they moved away from the tree and into the clearing, noticing the footsteps left behind by Nyla and Jun's dagger-heeled boots. Katara bit her lip and looked in the directions Jun and Long Feng had walked before crouching down by Nyla's footprint. It was large and fan-like as though it was webbed. She sighed and spoke.

"So this is it. We came all this way, just for our cover to be blown," she said bitterly.

Zuko was pacing and stopped to run a hand through his hair. "I didn't plan this."

"I hope not, but from the sounds of it, Azula doesn't know he's here." She plucked up a rock from the ground and weighed it in her hands.

"Yeah. So, I'm guessing we're still on this mission?"

Katara looked up. "Yes." She smirked and tossed the rock aside.

"Right then, so we need to get Appa back in shape-"

"_I_ need to get him back in shape."

"Yes, _you_," he said flatly. "We have to lay low until we can sort out Jun and Long Feng."

"I'll sort out that creep right now," said Katara, rising to her feet.

"I mean we must wait for them to find us." When she did not understand his statement, Zuko explained further. "We might blow our cover if we go out looking for them."

"We already blew our cover."

"But…" Zuko held up a finger. "They don't know where we are. Jun went off in that direction." He pointed the same finger behind him. "And Long Feng went in that direction." He pointed his finger to the right. "If they already knew where we are, they would've come straight to the campsite."

"I see." She nodded, and could not help but feel impressed. "You're suggesting we stay where we are until they discover us, in the mean time building up Appa's strength."

"Yes. Appa's not even strong enough to go searching for them – but I hope he'll be fine when we're tracking down Yon Rha."

"I'll do my best." She was about to turn and lead the way back to the campsite, but then said, "You know, Sokka might be rubbing off on you."

Zuko's mouth formed a small 'o'. "Why Sokka?"

"That's a good plan, Zuko."

"Sure, but _Sokka_? He would've tried to build a catapult by now!"

She raised an eyebrow, and Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose when he realized that that was something Sokka would do. "Let's get back now," she said.

"Yeah. It is a nice pond, by the way."

"I got water for the healing from it while you were still asleep."

* * *

Finally Katara was unable to continue her focus of chi into healing Appa. Her eyebrows knit together as she pulled the water away from the bison, hearing him give a soft grunt in thanks. She opened her eyes to see that, once again, evening had fallen without her. There was a pile of wood in the centre of the campsite holding a short bush of amber fire, but the warmth she could feel all the way across the site was inviting, and she rose to her feet and made her way towards it.

She sat down on the side closest to her end of the campsite – while she was healing Zuko had sat on the ground and seemed to be lost in his thoughts; legs stretched out and hands hanging lazily over his knees. He was hunched over with a concentrated look on his face; this boy always seemed to be in deep thought. Katara studied him further; he was just sitting still, not a single movement besides the rising and falling of his shoulders as he breathed evenly.

She raised an eyebrow. "Were you paralyzed by the shirshu or something?"

He started when he heard her voice. "Oh, sorry."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just stuff. Why?"

"You're really into it." Katara glanced around. _This is awkward. Why is he acting differently?_ "You got the fire going." _What else can I say to him?_

"Yeah." He looked off to the side.

"For dinner, I'm just gonna heat up the stuff we packed, okay?"

"I don't mind." He shrugged. "It's too dark to go hunting, and if I use firebending I'll probably end up burning down the forest."

Katara nodded, got up and went over to Appa once again. She stopped abruptly when she noticed something had changed; the mud that was in a heap up to Appa's nose and the broken branches caused by the damage of their fall had disappeared. At least he had been doing something productive while she was healing the bison. She went around the side and climbed into the saddle. Untying a sack, she pulled out her favourite pot from the Western Air Temple and the eating instruments, holding them tightly in her arm as she touched onto the ground, using the other arm for balance. Her meticulous ways did provide her with back up plans if things like this were to happen.

Kneeling on the ground on the other side of the fire, she placed the chopsticks on the rectangular trays and handed one to Zuko. She opened the pot to reveal Suki's fish and vegetables. First, she dished out her own and laid it on the log. Since they had to be allied for this mission, it was only polite to help out Zuko. Before she was going to put the food in his tray, he stopped her and tried to take the pot.

"It's okay. I'll do it," he said.

Katara reluctantly released her hold on the pot and slowly went back to her log. "Are you sure?"

"You may think I'm like a typical prince, but I'm not dependant. Not anymore," he added.

"You're definitely not a typical prince," she agreed, picking up her tray and holding it near the fire, waiting for it to heat up. When Zuko just held his near a palm of fire, Katara sucked her bottom lip in. "You don't have to show off, Sparky."

"Yeah, because doing this requires mastery of firebending," he said sarcastically, holding up his ball of fire.

"I'm a waterbender."

"But you always act like a firebender."

"How does a firebender act?"

"Like you." Zuko half-smiled.

"Ugh! Really, Zuko? 'Like me'?" Katara rolled her eyes. "How lovely."

"See, that behaviour right there. It has firebender written all over it."

"Hm, yeah," she said sweetly. It was about the right time for the food to be fully heated; they brought their trays closer and began to eat. "Speaking of which, where did you learn firebending from?"

Zuko swallowed the food in his mouth. "My uncle."

"No, when you went with Aang. Who was actually willing to do it?"

"We found a bunch of dragons," he said, mimicking what Katara had said once before, and took a vegetable between his chopsticks and popped it in his mouth.

She frowned and picked at a piece of fish. "You couldn't have. I told you not to make stuff up like that."

There was silence as they continued their meal until their trays were empty, and only after that did Zuko speak again. "Fine, I'll tell you the whole story. But you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay then," she said doubtfully.

"You need to promise – properly."

"I promise not to tell anyone. Happy?"

He sighed. "You usually say the original firebenders are dragons, but before they were known as the Celestial Benders. They used to be very common before the War, but when Sozin started it, their numbers started going down 'til they were completely extinct. The new firebending is fuelled by rage and hatred and ambitions. When my ambition to capture Aang stopped, I lost my firebending skills – my fuel. So we had to find someone else to teach us, someone who knew the original, _Celestial_ way. I couldn't find my uncle who knew it, so we went looking for the Sun Warriors."

"The Sun Warriors? Is that a band or something?"

"No," said Zuko patiently. "It's a tribe of people who worship the dragons, and the royal family of the tribe were the only human Celestials."

"Is that how your family got its power?" asked Katara. _It does make sense…_

"I wish. We got our ranking from a power-hungry fire sage, centuries ago," he corrected her. "Anyway, that royal family was the chief's family. When the War started, they were angry with Sozin's decision and so were being killed. They went into hiding and few dragons survived. Aang and I went to the ruins of Mingxing – the city where they lived – used to be. We still found the hideout where the remaining people lived, with only two dragons. These dragons taught us our firebending."

"So… that stuff about the dancing dragon was true?"

"Every bit."

"And that book, _Love Amongst the Dragons_, has something to do with the Sun Warriors?"

"I thought you might ask that," he said, raising his eyebrow. "Yup, it does."

"Can I read it now?" The question was forced out of her as soon as it came to her mind.

"Why?"

"I do need to pass my time, since we could be stuck here for a while." She got up and quickly plucked the book from his shoulder bag. As she walked past again, she gave him a smack on the shoulder. "That's for keeping all this from us."

"Remember Aang needs that too." Zuko rubbed his shoulder as Katara gently opened the cover. "What did you read at the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Not famous things. They were just random original stories made up by lonely housewives and eccentric teenage boys."

"Sokka wrote one, didn't he?"

"He _was_ the eccentric teenage boy." The cover and the pages seemed so untouched. "Did you read this before?"

"No, I never had the time. During my exile, all I thought about was my honour and myself." He looked at his hands. "But I still treasured it, otherwise I'd have nothing to remember… _her_ by."

The Painted Lady's heart stung. "You're not the only one," she said.

"Read it out loud."

"What?" asked Katara.

"We'll take turns reading it aloud. You go first."

"Um, okay." She cleared her throat and began reading the first page; the words were handwritten and central on the page, much like poetry; the story's length would not be extreme.

"'_The tale of the two dragons follows the Princess Shao and the battle within her heart._

_This young woman was different to the people of her tribe. Though she was a princess, she was secretly ridiculed for her demonic yet beautiful power. She was the only of her clan to display flames of the purest white, but they held a secret that should never have been told. It was by her mother, Kyra, that she came into this world, but it was by her own fault that she herself gave birth to the Cold Fire. The young girl felt immense guilt regarding her mother, who had been put to death upon birthing a monster. And the Celestial Firebender was condemned to never, not ever, displaying her Firebending._'"

Katara was slowly being pulled into this story, and turned the page to find more of the black ink.

"'_As she grew into a fair young woman, she started to be accepted in society. Although it was much more comfortable for her, Shao bore the heaviest sadness of all. Being Kyra and her father, Leng's only child, she was accepted as the crown princess of the tribe. With the job of being the crown princess came a condition: she would have to marry. Princess Shao was, in truth, against this tradition, but had no choice whatsoever. Beneath the light of the half-moon, she was engaged to Tiro, the greatest firebender amongst all the Sun Warriors. The princess felt nothing for this young man of such admirable skill, and was saddened to discover so. As she silently accepted her fate, another entered her life, in the form of a simple man of eighteen, who went by the name of Ran._

'_And so begins a story of the affairs of the heart_.'"

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**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. This was my first time writing another story inside of an actual one, so let me know what you think – and whether you'd like Shao's story to be longer when writing it :)**

**Okay, bacui berries are types of berries found in the Avatar universe. Long Feng is supposed to have mysteriously disappeared, but this role made sense. Zuko's thoughts are slowly starting to spill in some more… and he does only have one eyebrow. Nyla does 'bark', but not like a dog, because in the episodes you can't exactly say she grunts like Appa. And the fact that Zuko called it a 'Celestial Bender' and the "writer" of **_**Love Amongst the Dragons**_** called it 'Celestial **_**Fire**_**bender' is to show the changing of the time; hint: it was written long ago, and it shows how the Fire Nation lost respect for the other elements and only called the origin of firebending "Celestial". 'Sarashi' is the undergarments used by Katara.**

**I have a new projects section on my profile – and some new projects I've planned while I was gone. You can check the story's status/spoilers there… I'd really like it to be easy to picture the setting and the new clothing etc. I might do some artwork? But if you want a nice idea of what the new tunic looks like, it is similar to Soifon's from Bleach (Google it only if you **_**really**_** want to know). **

**Hope you enjoy the next chapter! **


	8. The Attack

**A/N: Sorry I took longer than usual to update. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. Remember, the fights in this chapter are happening at the **_**same**_** time. Read on to see what I mean ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. But this story, its plot and any original characters/locations created here belong to me.**

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**Chapter 8: The Attack**

Katara never thought her inner fourteen-year-old girl would be brought out in such a way. Her description of such a person was similar to the types she had seen in Ba Sing Se: laughing along with friends in a corner and talking about their favourite book of the moment, blushing occasionally at the things they confessed to be coming across in said book.

It even made her wonder what kind of girl Azula was on the inside, but cringed when her mind went into detail. Ty Lee might be a better person to consider, since the girl seemed to be quite tender-hearted and _relatively_ normal without the instruction of Mai or Azula.

Katara's 'fourteen-year-old fascination' was in Zuko's book. She had taken interest in it ever since last night when the fire died down, right after she could no longer hold her eyelids open. After hours of the focused healing, she had passed out on the ground with Zuko's book under her nose; this morning she was the last to wake up. The firebender, who had returned from the pond after a bath of his own, had teased the state of her hair. She eyed, with envy, his dark, slightly-damp hair and how well it could survive this awful heat. She chose not to make a sour retort, but instead asked Zuko if she could take _Love Amongst the Dragons_ with her when she went to freshen up at the pond; he flatly denied her. She had narrowed her eyes at him, gathered up her moose-lion skin bag and walked off, her chin up.

At present, she was dry and clothed after her cold bath at her pond, made quick by her mastery of waterbending. Now, after meticulously tugging and pulling the water from her hair, she bent over and rummaged through her bag for a comb. It was then, in the distance, that she heard a loud snarl, but it was not Zuko – in fact, it was not even human. Goosebumps rose on her bare arms as she paused, listening hard for another of that horrid sound. Nothing. Her fingers closed around the comb and she slipped it out of the bag. Straightening up, she still nervously glanced around, and lifted the comb to her dry but frizzed hair.

"Ruarghh!"

She gasped; there was the snarl, except now it was at a closer range and was paired with the sound of a cracking whip. _Oh no…_

Without a moment's hesitation, she snatched up her bag from the ground – comb becoming planted firmly in her loose, unruly hair – and bounded in the direction of the campsite. _Please may it not be them, anyone but them…_ As she arrived at the campsite, she stumbled and almost tripped when her pumps, hastily stuffed over her toes, got trapped underneath a surfaced root.

Zuko stood up with a start; before Katara's clumsy arrival he was probably in his Thinking State again. "What happened?"

She dropped her bag next to the pile of burnt logs which, twenty-four hours ago, was the fireplace. "Did you… hear that… Zuko?" She was out of breath.

He kept silent and listened. "Wha-?"

"Ruarghhh!" The snarl was so close it could have come from behind him.

"That sounds like Nyla," he said quietly.

"Nyla? You mean that thing with Jun?"

"It's the shirshu." He looked up with a frown on his face. "It's got a lead… did you leave anything behind when you came?"

"No, everything's in my bag." She kicked up each of her legs behind her to pull the back of the soft pumps over her heels. "Did _you_ leave anything behind?"

"I double-checked before I left because I knew something would happen soon."

She huffed and looked around, her last foot touching the ground again. "So how on earth did she find anything?"

"Jun's pretty smart," he answered, remembering the winter of the same year that he had hired Jun in. "She would've come up with something."

Katara put her hands on her hips. "Nice, you're complimenting the person hunting us down."

"And he has every reason to."

The two whirled around, looking for where Jun's voice could be coming from.

They saw nothing, not even the huge, hairy beast named Nyla. An amused cackle came from behind them. Katara turned around to face the path she had just come from, and began walking backwards to Appa; her waterskin was in his saddle – hopefully it had _some_ water in it. Zuko stretched his leg out, holding an open-palmed hand near his heart and the other in front of him, in a stance poised to fight should Jun really make an appearance now. Katara continued walking backwards, momentarily twisting her neck around to look behind her. She heard no more sounds and saw no sign of the bounty hunter, but when she turned around, she let out a yelp at the sight in front of her.

Nyla charged out of the trees, leaping high, threatening to crush Katara as soon as she landed.

Katara was surrounded by the shadow of Nyla's irregular body, in such shock that her legs remained glued to the ground, no matter how much she tried to move them. The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion: Nyla's claws stretched out, gleaming in the light as she let out a bark of victory; Jun's face was every bit of delight as she cracked her whip once more while the two were still suspended in the air. The crack echoed in Katara's ears and called her legs to attention. She finally managed to get a response from those traitors attached to her body, but time seemed to speed back to normal once again, and instead she found Zuko's form crashing into hers.

Out of the way he pushed them, rolling once over the ground just as Nyla landed heavily, leaving four star-shaped craters where her paws were. Katara's expression remained the same; eyes wide, mouth slightly gaping. Zuko looked up from her shoulder and pushed himself to his feet, his boots scraping over the ground as he moved forward and back into his stance.

Jun secured the whip on a hook in Nyla's saddle and stood up, placing her free hand on her hip and planting her boot on Nyla's haunch armour. "Well if it isn't Prince Pouty. Nice to see you again – I hope it brings back some _memories_." On her final word, she reared back and leapt off the small saddle with a grunt, twisting in mid-air to come shooting downwards with the sharp dagger of her boot's heel aimed right at Zuko's face.

He dodged the bounty hunter, letting her sail past him to land where Katara had once lain. Apparently, the waterbender had come to her senses and made a dash for Appa's saddle in search of her waterskin. Zuko moved to the opposite end of the campsite, putting some distance between him and Jun to squeeze in a question.

"Why are you here?" he demanded.

"I'm on business." She smirked and charged forward, her dagger-heels stabbing the ground. Her next offensive move confirmed for Zuko what he would mostly have to dodge in this duel – Jun's deadly kicks.

Meanwhile, up in the saddle, Katara desperately tried to yank the string of her waterskin out of a corner it had managed to wedge itself in. _Come on!_ She stopped, rubbed her hands together and grasped the string, placing her foot on the saddle's rim. One, two, three… She gave the stubborn string a good yank, and allowed a victorious grin to cross her face just before she fell to the floor of the saddle with a _thud_. She scrambled to her feet and hopped off and onto the ground.

She slung the string over her neck so that it crossed over her abdomen. But when she got to the front of Appa, she found his eyes open and furious. Following his glare, she saw a growling Nyla just a short way in front of them, grazing the ground with her paw, about to charge at them. Frowning uncertainly, she put her hands up in a defensive waterbending stance.

"Katara!"

She glanced at Zuko, duelling Jun just behind Nyla, and saw him push his arms out in an 'x' with the slightest flames coating them; it was enough to force Jun back against a tree. "What?"

"Protect Appa from Nyla – I'll deal with Jun," he called.

"_What?_" she repeated. "You get a real human fighter while I have to deal with her pet? What do you take me for?" Katara could not believe what he was suggesting.

Jun sent her fist past Zuko, who dodged it in the nick of time. "Best not underestimate her, Luscious," warned the woman, smirking at Katara.

Katara scowled. Before she could speak, Nyla took the opportunity to gallop forward. Her eyes widened at the sudden action. She pulled the remaining stagnant water from the waterskin and, pushing her hand out while the other held the water under her control, created a circular shield. It burst when Nyla collided with it, making the animal draw back three steps, shaking the water from its feelers.

At the exact moment before Nyla's charge, Zuko had pushed his arm against Jun's and managed to shove her in front of him. He then kicked out his own leg and finished the move with a block of Jun's fist from his right hand and a punch from his left. He winced when he touched his right hand; the knuckles of that hand now bore little red cuts. He looked up and saw Jun brandishing her fist which, for the first time, he noticed was covered in fingerless gloves with spikes protruding from the knuckles.

Jun chuckled. "You like? In the time since I last saw you, I made a killing." She held out her hand and examined her nails. "So I decided to have a little upgrade."

"My uncle really spoilt you, didn't he?"

"Surprising amount for a one-time client, yes. But I obviously don't care."

Once again they clashed, Zuko making sure to avoid blocking her fist strike – there were spikes only on one hand; they would otherwise be identical if the other hand had spikes too. His right hand felt more painful than it should have, and he did his best to keep his palm open. He had never expected Jun to be such a capable fighter, especially since she seemed more likely to sit perched on the shirshu's saddle, sneering and hurling insults at her 'opponent'. The non-bending bounty hunter made up for her lack of control over an element with her advanced hand-to-hand combat.

Back to Katara's interesting encounter with the shirshu, the unyielding creature kept forcing itself forward. Katara swore she would not let the thing near Appa – or herself, if Jun really wanted to capture the humans as well as Appa. But Nyla was not running out of energy any time soon; she continuously slammed her long snout against the water domes made by Katara, only to move back and restart the annoyingly slow cycle. It was all the waterbender could think of to do until she came up with a better idea of how to bring Nyla down.

Her water was slowly becoming weaker, and each time she had to put more and more effort into making a strong shield. Then something hooked onto Nyla's saddle caught her eye. That whip was what Jun used to control the shirshu, but it would be foolish if she went forward just to retrieve that instrument made of rough leather and a wooden handle. Why, only a simple waterbending move would allow her to send the shirshu running in another direction.

While Nyla took her time to shake the remaining droplets from her face, Katara squeezed the water into a narrow tube, twisting it above her head to strengthen it further. Another grate of her claw against the ground and Nyla tried to get to Appa again. Only now she was met with a smarting slap across her chest; her whole underside was not covered with armour unlike the top. This definitely angered her, and she boosted herself off the ground, letting out that awful snarl in pain.

Katara edged to the side, waiting to see if it would go back to its owner or simply run away. But the shirshu followed her, looking like a cat about to pounce on a mouse. "What the…?"

Jun, who had just finished performing a scissor-kick at Zuko, got back to her feet and pursued him once again. "Don't you know? It's _your_ scent Nyla was given, Luscious." She dodged a ball of fire from Zuko, surprised that he had finally begun to firebend offensively instead of normal combat.

"Cabbage slugs," muttered Katara as she backed away to the west part of the campsite. _I need to get to the pond _fast_. I'll need more water than this._

"Run, Katara," ordered Zuko as he blasted two more fire balls at Jun, who had moved to the east side of the campsite, only needing to curve her arm upwards and hop right to avoid the fire.

"Don't order me arou- _whoa!_" Katara was interrupted when Nyla suddenly lunged at her. She had to make her exit from the campsite to the pond without further delay. The shirshu was moving so quickly and unevenly that the whip dropped from its hook on the saddle, falling to the ground at Jun's feet.

Zuko watched Katara disappear into the trees. It was quite an entertaining sight to watch her run around, especially with that frizzed up hair with a blue comb sticking out of the side. And she ran as though she was confused; she had never shown herself to be prone to confusion – only suspicion and general nosiness. He supposed that this was the side of her he had never seen – the one that acted like a human being. _Did she just say cabbage slugs?_ He recalled the state of her when arriving at the campsite from the pond this morning; he would have smiled, had he not seen Jun casually pick up the whip.

"Tell me what it feels like for a human to be hit with this thing, 'kay?" she asked sweetly, flexing her wrist.

"I'll be sure not to leave out any detail," said Zuko, gritting his teeth.

"Perfect." Her smirk melted when she stretched the arm with the whip above her head, letting the instrument fall over her shoulder. She bared her teeth and let out a grunt when she lunged forward, striking with the tail.

* * *

Katara could feel her breath leave her body in small pants as she scurried forward. The leaves in front of her seemed endless – _Shouldn't_ _I have reached the pond by now?_ She stopped, trying to calm her breathing, looking around and listening. Thinking back, she remembered running off in a westerly direction instead of north, towards the crag. But it had been quite a while since she last heard Nyla; she could have sworn ten minutes had already passed since leaving the site. She turned around, starting in a north-easterly direction towards the pond.

The sound of galloping entered her ears, followed by a bark, and then Nyla erupted from the leaves and pounced on Katara, knocking her to the ground. Katara cried out, wriggling and thrashing, trying to get out from under the fowl beast. Nyla picked up a paw and tried to claw at the waterbender, whose arms flailed desperately to escape.

"Argh!" The beast slobbered on her arm, and she clenched her teeth in disgust. Finally, she drew out what little water she had in her waterskin. "I just took a bath, you nasty… thing!" Of course, that was the best insult she could think of. "So get _off_!" she shouted, and blasted Nyla away with the most energy she could muster. Without thinking twice, Katara scrambled to her feet and jetted off in the correct direction, her feet pounding on the ground as she made her way to the pond, Nyla at her heels. The fact that her speed when running was not good did not help this situation.

The sparkling water could be sighted up ahead; Katara forced herself to move faster, not paying any attention to the branches batting her flushed cheeks. Only a bit further and she could end her so-called battle with Jun's pet. As she was nearing the pond's clearing, she stuck her arms out in front of her and felt the water answer. She tried to summon as much water as possible before she arrived with Nyla right behind her.

At last she broke through the remaining trees. Almost immediately she lifted up a wave of the water, just big enough to halt the shirshu. Her arms, which were above her head, came down in a swooping motion – at the same time, the water thundered over Nyla. Katara then stretched her arms to the side, the water following her action by freezing solid. Now Nyla's entire body was coated in a thick layer of ice, with the exception of her head.

Katara sighed with relief. She pulled out a small splash of water and doused Nyla's exposed face with it. "You needed a good bath, especially with all that slobber." She refilled her waterskin and plugged the stopper before rolling her shoulders and walking back in the direction of the campsite.

Along the way, she wondered if Zuko was done with Jun. The woman appeared to be very skilled in combat, so it would be understandable if they were still busy. However, Katara had no time to wait on the sidelines for them to finish. She was sure Zuko would want to confront Jun about Long Feng's motives, and even if it was unfair to fight two-against-one, it would still have to be done. When she approached the campsite, Katara could see between the leaves that Zuko was, indeed, still duelling Jun, who now cracked a whip at him which moved like a happy-to-strike serpent.

She parted a branch and stepped out; Jun was right in front of her, greasy hair undone, and Zuko was opposite. "Zuko?"

Jun started after hurling the tail of the whip at Zuko once again. Now she was distracted, even turning around with a shocked expression. Zuko was quick to take advantage, instantly plucking the tail of the whip from the ground. Jun, who sensed the tug when he did, whipped her loose hair when she turned to face him. He gave the tail a single shake before it glowed orange for a second and began crumbling to ash. Jun dropped the handle of the whip, a baffled expression on her makeup-coated face. She might have felt shock again when Katara rammed into her from behind, knocking and pasting her to the ground.

Katara held her hands firmly on Jun's shoulders; the bounty hunter was not even struggling. "Do you still have rope?"

Zuko stopped panting and rubbed the back of his forehead with his hand. "Yeah." He went to retrieve rope from his shoulder bag, which had sat there unsuspectingly throughout the entire fight.

Just as he found the rope, Jun shot her right fist up and hammered Katara in the shoulder, who cried out and was knocked off of her. Now it was Jun's turn to hold someone down, but as a hostage instead. She pulled up Katara's hair to hold up her head, exposing her throat, and then pointed her spiked right fist at it. "Choose your next move wisely, Prince Pouty."

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "What's the point of this?"

Jun gave Katara's hair a tug, earning a wince from the young girl. "You and I both know. _Money_. It's a simple thing to understand."

"What if I paid you instead of Azula?"

"Tch, Zappy?" At first, the bounty hunter thought he was fooling around, but her incredulous expression slowly changed into that of understanding. "I see. You think Azula knows I'm here?"

"Why else-?"

"Because, Long Feng is a desperate old snake. See, ever since Luscious's-" she prodded Katara with the spike; Zuko flinched "-little troop escaped Ba Sing Se, Long Feng has been out to get 'em. He was demoted by your sister, and has the insane idea that if he defeats the Avatar, he'll get enough authority over his ex-officers and-"

"-then he'll be able to build up an army and revolt against Azula!" finished Katara.

"Exactly," confirmed Jun. "Now don't wriggle."

As Katara grudgingly obeyed, Zuko frowned to himself. "Why are you telling us this information? Didn't he hire you to hunt us down?"

"Yeah, but remember, I don't have any allies. I'm neutral. Basically, I'm an unscrupulous b-"

"You're okay with calling yourself _that_?" muttered Katara, interrupting Jun's cursing and so prompting a jerk from her. But suddenly she fell forward, losing her balance as Jun released hold on her hair. Pushing herself up, she looked over her shoulder to find Zuko fastening Jun to the tree directly behind them. "You were fast."

Zuko gave the rope one last pull to check that it was secure. "I needed a decent distraction." He smirked.

"So I'm a distraction?" Katara got to her feet and examined the rope, deciding to brush away Zuko's words. "You know, you are pretty good at tying people to trees."

Before Zuko could respond, Jun gave out a forced sigh. "Look, I really don't want to know how you know that. Just get over with… whatever you want and let me go."

Katara's cheeks turned deep red as she held up her hands. "I didn't mean it like that-"

"Sure. Now, what _do_ you want?" demanded Jun.

"How was Long Feng planning to defeat Aang?" asked Zuko.

"So you want info, huh? Well, he was gonna use the bison to lure the Avatar – plain as day, if you ask me," she added.

"With what scent?" challenged Zuko.

"When he first captured the bison, he kept a lock of its fur hidden for future use. Downright creepy."

"Right. So where is the fur – does he still have it, or do you?"

"It's in Nyla's saddlebag."

Katara, tired of standing there with her arms folded, broke into the interrogation with a question of her own. "Jun, do you know your way around the island?"

"Of course I do."

"Do you have a map?"

"Yes."

"In the saddlebag?"

"Yes."

"Good."

"You're not gonna be taking that – not unless you release me, get me an excuse, and pay me to make up for Feng's money."

"What if we set you free, give you a good excuse and pay you later?" negotiated Zuko, knowing it had a weak chance.

"Well… if you pay me later, than you'll have to pay double – in Earth Kingdom currency – _and_ somehow remove my criminal record in the Earth Kingdom," said Jun, considering Long Feng's words from the previous day.

"Done. Katara, can you get the stuff? And also that piece of your tunic, remember?" Looking around, Zuko then noticed something unusual. "Whoa, wait, where's Nyla?"

For the first time since being overpowered, Jun struggled against the binding of the rope. "You didn't kill her, did you?" She was oddly anxious.

"No." Katara shook her head. "I froze her up. Sorry. She's still alive, though."

Jun relaxed only a little. "She'd better be."

As Katara walked past, she patted Jun on the shoulder and, without the slightest hint of humour, said: "It's nice that you actually care about her." Jun grumbled and Zuko snorted as Katara once again disappeared in the direction of the pond.

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Dusk was beginning to fall when Jun hoisted herself up into the shirshu's saddle. Her departure had taken longer than anticipated when she insisted that a copy of the map be drawn for her; the original had been snatched away by Zuko and hidden in his bag. After that, she ordered Katara to dry her "snuffly wuffly", since the waterbender had taken it upon herself to spray the shirshu with water – and the stench of wet-shirshu was unbearable. Even further after that, Nyla sidled up to Appa's side and nuzzled him, letting out a cat-like purr while Appa's eyes widened; Zuko had cringed in disgust.

"Oh, you forgot this," said Katara, picking up Jun's silver hairband – raising her eyebrow at the skull decoration – and placing it in her open palm. "So… good luck, I guess."

Jun pulled some of her greasy black hair up and threaded it through the hairband. "Sure thing, Luscious. Lemme hear that excuse one more time…"

Zuko nodded. "You tried looking for us the next day, but we were one step ahead and managed to confuse Nyla with the scents. The next morning you woke up to find the fur, blue material and the map gone." He held up the clump of Appa's cream fur. "Nyla couldn't pick up the scent again because we left the island, so you decided to leave."

"And you _saw_ us leave, but you were too drunk on cactus juice to remember which direction," put in Katara.

"Whew, cactus juice. That's some strong stuff," commented Jun. She pulled out her old whip from the saddlebag – apparently, the one Zuko had burnt to a crisp was recently purchased; he had to replace that as well. Giving one _snap_ on the ground beside the shirshu, it reared back, and before bolting off towards the east, Jun said: "Good luck. I always knew you two'd end up together." They set off at a gallop, leaving behind Zuko and Katara with burning faces.

"We're not-!" Katara tried to yell, but was silenced by Zuko.

"Leave it. She can't hear you anyway," he said. "Plus, I need to say how funny you look." He pointed at the comb and her frizzed hair, which might as well have been part of Appa's fur.

"Hey!" She scowled, turning her back on him.

"Sorry, I meant _entertaining_." He let out a laugh.

As surprising as it was to hear Zuko laugh, she ignored him and tried to pull the comb out of her hair; in truth, her attempt was useless. "Cabbage slugs."

Zuko cleared his throat. "Here, let me help you." He tried to reach for her, but she pulled away.

"No, thank you," she said shortly.

"Come on." He took her by her shoulders and spun her around to face him. Before she could protest, he said, "Hold still."

She huffed and let his fingers close around the edge of the comb, tangled in the hair on the right-hand side of her head, gently trying to pull it out. As he tried to pull the Water Tribe comb out of her hair in the most painless way possible, Katara glanced up at his face to make sure he was not secretly cackling to himself. But when she moved her eyes up, she was honestly surprised.

Had Zuko always looked… like that?

In a corner – a deep, dark, mischievous corner – of her mind, she could not help admitting that his face was… not such an awful thing to look at. She was looking at the unscarred side of his face, but even with that furious scar his face was still a handsome one. Out of the gang, she was probably the only one who knew the truth behind that mark – even when he had betrayed her trust in Ba Sing Se, she knew not to advertise to the world about it, and had so kept it to herself.

She had never been this close to Zuko – well, looking back on the happenings of the past week as well as the exchange in Ba Sing Se and the time he had 'saved her from pirates', she had been fairly close to him, but had never actually been brave enough to take a detailed look. Yes, he was indeed good-looking. She wondered if he had a girlfriend back home; it seemed he might. She was confused as to why she was even having these thoughts about Zuko and his life. Zuko, the horrible boy who – oh my, his hair was tickling her forehead and she felt his breath on her ear. For some reason this sent a shiver down her spine, but not a fearful one.

No! Why on earth were such mutinous thoughts in her mind? Was she not Katara, the girl who did not value appearances but rather the person inside? Of course, Jet had been the exception. Jet was… good-looking in a daring way. And he had sent shivers down her spine, too. Zuko and Jet were frighteningly similar… but strangely, there was something softer about Zuko – underneath the surface, of course. As he struggled with that comb – which had nearly slipped her mind, but not her hair – he bit his lip, concentrating. Her treacherous mind spun off a new series of thoughts. _Well, that _was_ kind of cute, like when he was sleeping… No! 'Cute' is _Momo_ when he's sleeping and when Toph tries to hide her inner feelings. But Zuko… all right, he's nice-looking. That doesn't mean I like him. It just doesn't hurt to have an opinion of how someone looks… Maybe Suki's noticed? But if I ask her it'll be so obvious… Wait, this is _just_ an opinion._

Zuko must have noticed Katara's open staring; in discomfort he unconsciously wrenched the comb out of her hair quite roughly. In turn, Katara was jerked out of her inner musings and let out a small squeak as the sting of pain reached her. She rubbed her head, sloppily replacing her thoughtful expression with an annoyed one.

"Thanks for the help," she muttered in an irritable tone.

He coughed. "Sure." As if only realizing then that the comb was in his hand, he lifted it up and held it out to her. "Here."

She took it, nervously clasping it between her hands. "Thanks." Without having anything better to say, they both turned in unison and went back to their separate sides of the campsite.

* * *

A hunting trip provided them with dinner that night. This time they ate in silence, watching the little, crackling orange fire between them lean over whenever a cooling breeze would fly past. The nights were probably cooler than the days, but they were still humid like the middle of the afternoon. The chirping of crickets could be heard around them, and even though she did not like insects, it did not bother her at all. Travelling the world and camping for most of the time had changed her opinion on greenery, but she hoped another certain opinion might change too.

Finally the silence was broken when Zuko set down his eating utensils next to the fire and retrieved something from his shoulder bag. "All right, it's my turn to read tonight."

Having finished her dinner nearly ten minutes before – maybe he had too, but was probably in that Thinking State again – Katara set down her own utensils on top of his. "Hang on a second." She got up to fetch her long coat from her sleeping bag. "I might fall asleep," she explained as she sat down again.

"I'm not such a boring reader, Katara," he said flatly.

"Yes, but it's not a crime to be prepared, is it?"

He sighed. "Of course not. Anyway, listen.

'_Princess Shao's first encounter with her beloved occurred at the tribe's Great Feast, a celebration honouring the Spirit of the Sun, Huo, and the Spirit of the moon, Tui. As the crown princess, Shao was seated to the right of her father, Chief Leng, upon a platform of solid gold. The firebenders of their peaceful clan all sat before her, bowing their heads respectfully whenever she looked in their direction. But there was only one in that sea of faces she was looking for – a man by the name of Ran, who had captured her interest the night he had stood as a witness of her engagement to Tiro. Only the faintest smile had been given to him, but now she wished for words, and then to become friends._

'_Her blue eyes finally settled upon that young gentleman whom she had sought out so intently. His eyes met with hers, and once again all she could do was give him a sweet smile. She was about to gesture for him to approach the golden platform, until her father cleared his throat and began a speech on the importance of a companion. In his meaningless words, he used his daughter's engagement to Tiro as an example of love and unity. What a foolish man, thought Shao, does he not know that it was not my choice of a suitor? But on went Leng, guilt inside of Princess Shao as she saw Tiro's smile and chose to turn away. _

'_Applause sounded throughout the crowd after Leng finally made his announcement, and in those seconds while the cheers surrounded her, Shao's world came crashing down. Her father had…'"_

Katara's earlier prediction had been correct: she was now falling off to sleep. During the course of Zuko's reading, she had felt like resting her head and so sunk down with her long coat wrapped around her. His reading was most certainly not boring; in fact, it was done well and even a bit cute when he would be forced to read out something embarrassing about feelings. Ah, there she went again – she would have to snap out of this trance, or she might end up calling just anything cute.

The fourteen-year-old girl inside of her that she had, just that morning, wanted to meet and come to know was now overstaying its welcome. Soon she might have to restrain it somehow – chains, maybe? – but she would most certainly not stop reading _Love Amongst the Dragons_, no matter how much it was to blame. No, she would have to find another way. _And Zuko is not cute… _

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks for reading! Now, I looked back and I discovered why I've been publishing with an unsure feeling lately… I've been forgetting to thank you all for your amazing reviews! Gosh, I really appreciate it. And I would love it if you told me what you thought about this chapter? There was the fighting and the 'opinions'… so I'd really like to know :)**

**Zuko and Jun haven't been having a staring competition while Katara held off Nyla – again, it was happening at the same time. I hope you liked the first Zutara signs in this chapter hinting that she might just like him more than she should… And Katara's 'fourteen-year-old fascination' can be plainly said as 'fangirlism', by the way, which is why she is noticing things, being clumsy and blushing etc. And when Zuko says "Here", I was thinking of when he's handing ice cream to Mai :P **

**I'm really late in updating because…  
-I've been having other ideas for fics, including a new Zutara one ;)  
-I have drawn Katara's new tunic but I won't put it up on any art sites, because a) wouldn't it be self-centered of me to do that? No offense if you do. And b) personally, I don't think it's that good – I'm okay at drawing, but man, some things your normal, average, everyday people can do are… WOW.  
-I went to see Harry Potter! Definitely not for little kids anymore, haha. I set up a Harry Potter poll on my profile, mainly because I need to prove a point to some girls in my class on how strong some ships are (help me out there)… Even though the school year is over… but I'd still like to prove my point!**

**Wow, I loaded you with information. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
Chapter 9 is on it's way :)**


	9. Square One

**A/N: Guess what? I'm back! You might've guessed that from the fact that I've finally posted Chapter 9… Oh, and pretty please read the end Note, in which I desperately ask for your opinions (it's actually about a future chapter that could depend on your answers). And I hope you've been good and read the spoilers on my profile, but if you haven't I'll tell you here because I'm in such a good mood :P. Yes, anyway, quite soon you will be reading of… wait for it… the **_**first kiss**_**! !gasp! And what, pray tell, will happen in the awkward/pleasant moments after it? Heehee, stay tuned…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it. This story, its plot and anything original belongs to me.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Square One**

Her eyes flickered open. Being a naturally light sleeper, she was always the first to wake up in the morning, especially when the sun particularly bothered her and stuck a frown on her face. She squeezed her eyes shut for a few more seconds and opened them once again, finally adjusting to the sleepy morning sunlight.

Katara had been lying on her side. She pushed herself up, leaning on her left arm for support, and glancing down at her right, she noticed something rather interesting. Her hand was placed lightly on the cover of _Love Amongst the Dragons_, and next to it was Zuko's pale hand, the book firmly in his grip. He was still asleep with that 'soft' look, his mouth slightly open as he breathed evenly. Now she remembered that it had been his turn to read last night, and she had passed out while he had been doing so.

She glanced to the side as her long coat slipped from her shoulders. With a soft sigh, she removed her hand from that dangerous spot, her fingers accidentally grazing his, and she placed it in her lap. For some foreign reason, she was hoping she had remained asleep for longer. She turned her body so that she could gaze in front of her, knowing her face was an emotionless mask at this moment. Even though she was confused on the inside. She just could not comprehend what – _why_ these things were happening to her, of all people.

"Morning."

Katara jumped as if Toph had caused a molehill to appear where she was seated. "Why did you do that?" She looked away from him, not wanting him to see the look on her face.

Zuko's eyes were open, but his position had not changed. "You're easy to catch off guard."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because it's obvious."

She narrowed her eyes and whipped her head around to glare at him. "_What_?"

"Ever since you started reading this book-" he sat up, pulling the book towards him "- you've been acting like a human."

"I already do."

"Sure, whatever… I also meant you're being unusually nice to me," he teased. "Have you grown a heart overnight?"

"Oh, shush. Do you prefer me being mean to you?"

He snorted. "Like the good old days?"

She rolled her eyes. "It doesn't hurt to be _okay_ to you because we're on a mission – not _nice_. And I _have_ to work with you, otherwise I would've left a long time ago."

"How would you explain that to the others?"

She gaped at him. "You're… evil. Do you know that?"

He smirked. "Toph calls it 'bad at being good'."

"Or good at being bad!"

"Whichever you prefer…"

"Ugh!" She gritted her teeth and got up, stomping over to her part of the campsite. Back to Square One: Trying to figure out Zuko's intentions. But if they had ever left Square One, she did not know.

He chuckled. "Relax. I was only kidding."

Katara paused in the middle of neatly folding her long coat to feel her face heat up. She huffed. "Well, I don't find it funny." She shoved her long coat between her moose-lion bag and rolled-up sleeping bag a little too violently. She turned around again after she thought her blush had faded. "Since when are you so… cocky? Zuko, what are you doing?"

The boy was standing near Appa's side, a grimace on his face, staring at the bison's fur. In fact, the next five minutes were spent with her frowning at him, while he just… stared. He coughed. "I think you should take a look at this, Katara." He spoke as though he was distracted.

Her frown deepened and she could feel her eyebrows pinching more as she bent down to pick up her waterskin. Slipping the strap over her head to cross over her abdomen, she walked up to where Zuko was standing, and as her eyes came to rest on the spot he was pointing at, she could barely restrain the gasp that followed. "How did this happen?" she said softly, her expression melting. When Zuko did nothing to reply to her, she jerked her head to look at him. "Did _you_ do this?"

"No!" He was quick to hold up his hands. "I swear. But I think I know who did." He parted Appa's bloodstained fur to reveal the cringeworthy end of a sharp quill. "Remember yesterday, when Nyla… was displaying her affections for Appa?"

She resisted the urge to giggle at his hindrance in speaking of strong emotion; she had first discovered this last night, when he would lower his voice to mumble of Shao's interest in Ran. "Yes."

"Well… don't you think this could be one of her quills?" he asked her, as if it was more obvious than one having to breathe to live.

"Yes, I do." She turned and stuck her nose in the air, digging for a snarky comeback in her mind. "I wasn't born yesterday. Of course, you're Fire Nation, and you people always-" She stopped herself, only just too late, silently cursing herself. It would be so _horrible_ to badger him about his past before defecting, especially after all that had transpired between them. She swallowed hard and tried to remain in her annoyed character; as if nothing had happened.

"He needs to be healed. I'm going hunting," he said without expression.

And also without another word, he brushed past her, gathered up his Dao swords – were those with him the whole journey? – and left the campsite. All the while, Katara's temporarily hard gaze softened, her eyebrows slanting outwards as she realized just how she must have sounded, notably after the things he had done for her these past few days – goodness, she would have drowned if it were not for him. But then again, she was no stranger to speaking words harsher than intended. In the winter – actually, the same day Zuko had saved her from pirates – she had let her jealousy of Aang's waterbending ability get the best of her and so hurt his feelings. But instead of pouting much like a kicked koalotter, Zuko had barely reacted – no emotions or expressions – and just walked away.

As she drew water from the skin at her waist, she could sense the Painted Lady shaking a finger at her disappointedly. She sighed; she was confused as to why she was feeling so bad. She had hardly insulted him, right? Wrong. Although she had not completed that sentence, she had put through a message which had become untrue, but that was currently unknown to her. People did not act in such a messed up way to their friends.

"Ugh."

Another sigh; Zuko was her friend. She hovered the water between her outstretched arms and let a portion of it slink onto her hand and freeze into an ice glove. The water between her arms had chi energy focused into it until it was a glowing orb. She pressed it to the bison, laying the gloved hand next to the maimed area to support her. She closed her eyes; her healing had improved greatly, since she did not even need the melting snow visualization to guide her. And in just a few moments, the wound was closed and the bleeding stopped, no part of that area – in or out – still hurt. Except for Nyla's quill. At least it had the property to paralyze and numb, otherwise Appa would be in a lot of pain. Now, as Katara poured more of her chi into the puddle pressed to Appa, she had to focus until she was literally a part of him; apparently, he had enjoyed it when Nyla nuzzled up to him, and understood that it was by accident when the quill had entered his flesh. _He's very smart._ Just some more focus… now she was inside of him, feeling how the spine was uncomfortably wedged between two of his muscles – at least it had not stabbed one. Oh, but now she would have to further her healing until she could remove the quill with the help of those two muscles. His flicker of pain from that attempt sent a shiver down her spine, but she willed herself on.

"Just a bit more, Appa. Hang in there…" She was unsure whether it was the bison or herself she was comforting. "And… there!" She pulled the blood-tinted water away from Appa's body and flung it into the bushes with a flick of her wrist; the small effort causing her to stumble a little. She plucked the quill from the ground with the ice glove, and as she threw it into the bushes too, she changed the phase of the frozen water back to liquid.

She collapsed onto her haunches, rubbing her temples. Healing had never taken such a strain on her. Maybe it was because she had not performed the technique since… how long ago? Goodness, time seemed like such a muddle in her mind, considering the sensitive state she had been in at the time. She took a few deep breaths, trying to figure out why her head suddenly felt tight, with a dull but painless throb in her brain that braced her for a monstrous headache.

But then her thoughts were interrupted when the sound of flapping wings filled her ears, not helping the pounding of blood as the two sounds competed with the goal of deafening her. With a wince, she looked up and over her shoulder, just in time to see a massive – and disgustingly scraggy – messenger hawk fly at her, its claws bared. In a shock she staggered and fell back onto the ground, and felt a small graze on her neck when the claws snatched her mother's necklace right from her. "Hey!" She held her arms up protectively but the hawk was already disappearing in the direction of the crag. "Give that back!" she hissed as she got to her feet, ignoring the quickening of the pounding in her ears, and bolted after the hawk. The calm flying it took on mocked how slow her running was, until two moments later when it finally got bored and zoomed forward. Katara grumbled as she was nearly smacked in the face with a branch. She supposed this served her right for being unfair to Zuko…

* * *

Zuko slashed away a dangling vine with his dual Dao swords. He was especially talented with the pair of weapons, being a skill he picked up while on the seas. Like that, many good things had come out of his exile, now that he looked at it. He would never have travelled the world as many times as he had – if any at all; he would never have learnt how to fight with nothing but combat and the Dao swords, which he now slipped into the sheath across his back; and he would never have met Ka- …he would never have met the gang.

It was a strange and undeniably wrong thing to do, to just walk off the way he did. Especially since he had not taken offense by what she said. He understood that she was still adjusting to this new friendship – so he called it – of theirs, and it was an honest mistake performed by her loose tongue. She might have been making a wise crack, a taunt, for all he knew! But he did not want to know. He knew it was dangerous territory to be treading upon, and he would rather not be stuck in the middle of it. Day by day, they grew closer. And he knew that if they ventured further even more, a consequence was to be faced. In fact, too many consequences. There was a girl, back in the Fire Nation, who had once doted on him greatly – there was nothing left between them, wiped away when she had given him the most bitterly cold glare anyone could ever have. It was a look of hatred. That meant their relationship had come to a close, or so he thought. His brow furrowed. Either way, he still felt immense guilt when seeing her chained up by Azula, and the way things were now, he still struggled to imagine redemption for himself. He was a bad person with a bad past; it would take a long time and a great deal to forgive himself. And so things could never advance further with the master waterbender, who had dropped her defenses and so unsuspectingly captured his interest. She was a girl of strong mind, strong will, peaceful power; but she was also caring, compassionate, used her enchanting power for good, constructive things – unlike the firebenders he knew; they abused their power and destroyed and killed. He was a firebender, she was a waterbender. Bad and good. She was everything he was not.

He sighed, not bothering to slice a branch in front of his face, instead moving it aside with a flick of the hand. His mind raced back to what had just taken place. Perhaps he should not leave her completely in the dark. He ought to let her know that he was not offended, that there should not be any bad feelings between them. She had been speaking the truth, of course. But he was finally within the circle, and even though she had not accepted him by word of mouth, he knew she had. He would rather not push this too far, for he might just end up pushing himself out of the comforting arc. He hoped it was this group of people, whose company he could liken to family, would help him to forgive. Though for now, it was time to focus on Katara's mission, and to see whether she had truly forgiven _him_.

Before he could think up ridiculous ways to apologize, he stopped when he heard someone calling from behind him. "Hey! You give that back!" It was Katara – had someone else shown up at the campsite?

"Who is it this time?" he muttered, turning around with a hand on the hilts of his swords. But instead of whipping them out to strike the face of the rogue, he found himself ducking as the most unhealthy-looking messenger hawk flew at him. If he was not mistaken, that was Katara's necklace hooked onto its claw. As it zoomed ahead, narrowly missing him, Katara came jogging from the same direction the hawk had come from.

She paused, bending to press her palms on her knees, panting. And her hair had an enormous twig in it. "…Messenger hawk… just came and… and… it took…" she trailed off.

Before he could burst out laughing, he snatched the twig from her brown hair. Clearing his throat, he said, "We'd better hurry if we wanna catch it."

She straightened up, licking her lips and easing her breathing. "Okay, let's go." She nodded at him.

Much to her distaste, Zuko tore ahead of her, letting her trail behind like a loose thread of blue mianhua. Their feet stamped the muddy ground with their footprints, revealing the trail they formed towards the tower of earth that formed the crag. At last, Zuko broke through the greenery and arrived at the opening in which the pond lay. Two moments later, his trail of blue mianhua burst out and into the clearing, halting at his side.

"Nice landing." He shielded his eyes with his hand and gazed at the top of the crag; the sun seemed to have become so unusually bright, even more than it should have been at noon – at least he thought it was noon. But it was injected with a haziness of some sort, making it even harder to determine the time of day. His eyes, just as gold as the sun itself, came to rest on a brown shamble of twigs and leaves and dripping mud which, with the addition of the scruffy messenger hawk, he took as a nest. "There it is." He pointed at the thin branch the shabby structure rested on. A twig then fell from the nest. "Tch, looks like he isn't domesticated in the art of being a bird."

He glanced to the side to find Katara shielding her eyes as well. "That messenger hawk looks familiar! It looks just like Sokka's old one."

"Messenger hawks look pretty much the same." Zuko lowered his hand. "Wait here – I'll be right back."

"Wh-What? No, Zuko, _you_ don't have to get my necklace back-"

"Don't you want it?"

"Of course I do, but-"

"Then hang on while I get it for you." He moved around the pond and groped for the rocky surface of the crag. Finding none, he settled for jumping onto the rock face above the glimmering pond water. Taking a few steps back, he made a running start before Katara stopped him.

"Wait, let me freeze the water for you," she offered.

"It's fine, I can-"

"No, no, no. I want to practice my ice control, and you're gonna let me. Got that?"

He sighed. "Okay, okay. Freeze it."

She looked right at the pond. She felt a little guilty by doing something to the pure water, but before she could become the spirit of Hei Bai and prevent herself from doing it, she raised her arms and with a sweeping motion, froze the water solid. It actually looked even more beautiful when frozen.

After testing the strength of the ice, Zuko walked across the surface cautiously and took hold of the rock with both hands. Giving himself a boost with his foot, he pulled himself up by moving further along the slightly slanted face of the tall crag. From there, he scaled the wall effortlessly, pausing only once to seek out his next handhold. He reached the lone branch, and when he looked up to spot his target, the hawk – necklace still in claw – let out a wail and glared at him with beady black eyes.

"Don't hurt it!" called Katara.

He released his left hand's hold on the crag face and tried to gently reach for the necklace – it was returned with a bat of the wings and another torturous shriek. "I don't think that's a problem," he responded to the waterbender on the ground. After three more of the gentle tries, Zuko lost his patience. He firmed his grip on the rocky face and made a swipe at the necklace, successfully taking it between his fingers. But his palm latched onto the sharp claw of the bird, and it _pulled_. The bird put up a good struggle, but finally tore free from Zuko's clasp, drawing a cry from the boy. As the bird flew away in annoyance, Zuko's hand failed to hold on any longer, and as he fell back, his hand desperately grasped for the rocky surface once again. Instead, he ended up grabbing what appeared to be a scroll from within the nest, the back of his hand brushing against the unmistakable warmth of… eggs? Before he could ponder this, he was hurtling down to earth again. "Katara! Unfreeze it!"

"I'm on it!" She held her hands in front of her, palms parallel to one another. She moved her hands, still in those positions, to the left, and suddenly lunged outwards, diagonally right. The water mirrored her action by returning to normal, but only a small gap in the surface ice opened for Zuko before he fell though it with a splash. Concerned, Katara scurried up to the uneven crater in the icy surface. She hoped he hadn't injured himself. "Zuko…" She knelt beside the opening, peering inside, searching – apparently, this pond was deeper than expected. Zuko was floating there, his eyes opening just enough to sight her. She stuck her hand inside the cold, reaching for his hand to assist him. Slowly, he grasped her wrist with his right hand, but instead of pulling himself up and out of the water, he yanked Katara inside. He pulled her down to his level, a shocked expression on her face. She came to her senses, a confused look smearing her features like paint. But it faded away when she saw him answer that look with a smirk, and then he swam upwards to the surface, leaving her alone underwater. Oh, now he deserved a good yelling-at. But not at this moment, when she was running out of air. With a gag that resulted in the fizzing of bubbles around her head, she joined him on the surface, refusing his hand while she hacked and gasped, collapsing on the ice.

"Thanks, by the way," he said between breaths.

Katara, spread beside the crater, rubbed her eyes and let her arms drop beside her, her chest heaving. "Shut… up!" she breathed.

He chuckled – he _chuckled_? Why was he mocking her after she saved him? Then again, now they were _almost _even. "That takes care of the bath for today." He sat up, letting another chuckle loose – though Katara decided it should be called a cackle. "You're a great bender," he told her, laying his hand on her forearm for just a moment before standing and making his way back to the campsite.

She was confused when she found a flush wave through her body, that same spot where he had touched tingling. She let out a huff of air, closing her eyes, letting her lungs calm down and drink in the thick, sweet summer air. She was not sure how long she laid there for, because when she finally decided to return to the campsite, she was dry from head to toe.

* * *

As she parted the branches and stepped into the weak shade of the campsite's clearing, Katara found _another_ rather interesting surprise, though it could not compete with the one she had discovered the same morning – which now felt as if it had been years ago. Zuko stood beside the fireplace, nicely lit even though the sun was blazing brighter, his tunic discarded on the ground by his side of the campsite, wringing his maroon shirt. Apparently, while she just been lying around waiting for herself to dry, he had been wringing and stretching his shirt until the water dripped from it, though it had not worked as well as her method had. She grinned with quite a scary malice, just a hint of a smirk in it.

She leaned against the tree – the same one with her belongings piled against it – and admired the entertaining display of her victory over him. At last, she had won. She watched the bare-chested boy struggle to dry his shirt – she replayed that sight in her mind and placed a hand over her mouth, blushing. Zuko was standing in front of her, without… Goodness, at least she had not come in when he was drying his trousers! She would never have lived that down – in fact, he might abandon this mission and fly away on Appa or maybe even that hawk, or she would dive back into the pond and proceed to live there for the rest of her life. Oh, but he was quite nicely built for a boy his age. Compared to Sokka who was just a year younger at fifteen, Zuko was very much more muscular. It might have developed from his countless days of training – during winter, one time when they ran into him aboard his ship, he had been training extremely hard. With a hard wring of the shirt once again, Katara had to choke back a girly giggle when she saw the muscles in his pale arm flex. Before she exploded, she had to stop this.

She cleared her throat, looking serious. "Uh, Zuko, what are you doing?"

As if being yanked from a trance, Zuko turned to face her with his classic exasperated look. "My shirt won't dry," he mumbled.

Now she grinned again, and she could have sworn she saw Zuko shiver. "Serves you right for getting me wet, too."

His raised his eyebrow. "How did you get dry? And where were you?" he added.

"At the pond. I decided to fix up my hair, and I should remind you that I'm a waterbender – of course I can dry myself quickly," she lied, looking away out of the strange paranoia that he might figure out her fib just by looking her in the eye. When he said nothing and continued torturing his shirt, she sighed. "Let me help you." She walked up to him, looking smug when he did not try to protest. _Looks like he needs my help too… _She pulled the water easily from the garment, twisting the puddle this way and that for her enjoyment, before flinging it into the trees. Something deep red and shiny caught her eye when she turned back to him – and it was coming from Zuko's left hand. "Zuko… what happened?"

"Stupid messenger hawk clawed me."

"Idiot!" She gave him a smack on the shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You weren't here."

"So you should've come to me." She grabbed his wrist and pulled it to her before coating it in shining blue water from the containing skin at her waist. After just a moment of silence and focused chi energy, the cut was healed to perfection, but she did not release his wrist. She took the opportunity to glare into his eyes, but as soon as blue clashed with gold, she found her glare melting.

He was watching her with an unreadable expression, as if he was trying to figure something out, trying to tell her something, maybe even pleading. He gave a half-smile and closed his eyes, successfully breaking the spell. "Looks like it's your turn to save me from pirates."

For some odd reason, Katara found herself smiling just as lightly, a little laugh sounding behind her lips. "Yeah." She released his wrist, rubbing her arm with her other hand.

It was then that he turned away and walked back to his side of the campsite. As he pulled his shirt over his body again, Katara's view was cut off. Until then she had not even realized that she was staring, and upon touching her finger to her cheek, she felt how warm it had become. He tied his tunic on and seated himself under his tree, sighing when he stretched. "So, you passed out while I was reading."

She felt something of dismay when he did not sit in the middle of the campsite, like they usually happened to later in the days. "Yes, I did." She edged onto her side and knelt down, folding her clammy hands neatly in her lap. "Tell me what happened."

"Well, Shao's father got engaged to a woman other than her mother, and then she was so upset that she ran away from the feast. Ran followed her and… gave her a hug…" Zuko scratched his head, glancing left and right. "And Tiro went looking for her much later but couldn't find her because she was with Ran. And I stopped there 'cause you were asleep."

"You're so poetic."

"I'm flattered."

"Anyway, listen, we need to talk." _Super! First I don't know how to speak, and now here I am, asking for something I'd rather not do? I swear, Zuko is just… hectic. And now he's making me hectic, too! Ugh, I-_

"Yeah," he interrupted her ranting mind. "But let me go fir-"

"I take back what I said before," she blurted. "It was a mistake, and after what a great partner you've been for this mission, I'm really grateful. Someone else would've given up as soon as we crashed, but not you. So, what I should be saying is… thanks…"

Zuko frowned. "I'm not offended, Katara. I get that it was by accident, and I don't mind. You probably would've said the truth, and I have no right to keep you from speaking it. Just like I had no right to walk off like I did – I _wasn't_ upset; I needed to think about… something." He silently recalled his thoughts from the afternoon. "But if it taught you a lesson then that's fine too," he added lightheartedly.

She rolled her eyes. "So, are we even?"

"Not quite. There's still the mission to go through, and as soon as we find a good route to take through the island, we'll leave this site. But I also want to know something…" He examined the smooth skin of his hand where the cut had been. His eyes fixed on that area, he continued. "Are you ashamed of your bloodbending ability?"

The question caught her off guard. "Wh-What?"

He clenched his fist, looking up at her. "You are, aren't you?"

"I don't-"

"It's fine. I just wanted to tell you something important. Remember this, okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"Never be ashamed of what you've learnt and done – there's a reason why it's there. And the way you've been healing Appa… you've been using bloodbending. Not normal healing, otherwise you wouldn't have got his bones back in place when you first healed him before this mission. You've healed Appa now, right?" She nodded again. "Exactly. That's how you got Nyla's quill out of there. Now it all makes sense – why you've been getting headaches after you healed something major, and why you were so normal after you healed my hand." Silence. "I'm saying bloodbending isn't always bad. You can use it for good, too, like healing." He rested his back against the tree behind him. "Don't _ever_ be ashamed of it, Katara."

Katara was gaping at him. She closed her mouth, and when she realized the good intentions behind his words, how sincere and actually heartwarming they were, a small smile crossed her lips. She leaned back against the tree like he had, only one thought coming to mind; she and Zuko were definitely past Square One.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thank you all for your amazing reviews – it gave me such joy opening my mailbox to find them waiting for me, and after such a long time since I last checked (back in December)! Yay! I can easily say that this was my… **_**second**_** favourite chapter to write (Chapter 5 was my favourite so far). The scene with Zuko and Katara retrieving the necklace was literally one of the first five things that came to mind when I first thought of this story.**

**Urgent Question: If something were to go wrong – take note of the "IF" – who would you rather feel sorry for; Katara or Zuko?  
****This applies to a chapter in the near future, and something **_**may or may not**_** go wrong. Who knows? Reread the summary, and you might just pick up what I mean…**

**Hope you enjoyed it!**


	10. Teisuu

**A/N: Wow, thanks for your feedback from the last chapter! I wasn't expecting… such a response :''D Haha, for some reason, I knew Zuko would be chosen… But who knows? Well done to julymoon for being the only one who chose Katara! You are rather brave :P Sigh, that was pretty much the last real planning I had to do for this story (I've planned all of the chapters!). But it's not over yet, so don't you get any ideas! Pronunciation for this chapter's title is: tey-soo, or teh-su. Whichever's easier for ya :)**

**This story has a theme song! It's called ****"Nothing Like You and I" by The Perishers****. I thought I should tell you by now, this being the 10****th**** chapter and all. I lovelovelove it for this story… do check it out and tell me if you think so too?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it, otherwise you can bet Zutara would be canon. But, I only have control over this story and plot of mine... And where's the fun if there aren't at least some obstacles for our favourite pair? XD**

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**Chapter 10: Teisuu**

"'_My dearest __**Toph**__,_

_It fills my heart with joy to know that you're all right. I wish you could've replied sooner – your father and I have been deadly anxious when you ran off like that. I urge you to return home as soon as you can. You have our consent to practice earthbending as you please, but only under our parental supervision. We apologize for underestimating your ability, but I assure you that it was just for your protection and wellbeing._

_If you do not return before the arrival of Sozin's Comet, you will not be able to become the Bei Fong heiress. The scripts read that at this age, before you become a young woman, you are to attend a ceremony specific to this time of year making you the heiress by law. If you do not, unfortunately we will not be allowed to pass on our wealth to you. _

_I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive us for sending Xin Fu and Master Yu to return you to us – it was only for your own good. We are willing to forgive you for your unexpected leaving, and now I hope you can see our reasons, for all I want now is to hold my only daughter in my arms once again._

_-__**Poppy Bei Fong**__, your loving mother._'"

Katara rolled the scroll closed with a _snap_, revealing her peeved expression. She moved over to her side of the campsite and slipped the olive green scroll, marked with emblems of the flying boar, inside of her moose-lion bag. She could simply not believe what she had just read. Zuko had shown her the scroll, saying that it never arrived at its destination. The flying boar emblem was enough for Katara to guess that this letter was for Toph. And so, after Zuko's protesting for her to not open someone else's mail, she decided to do so, and was pleasantly annoyed afterwards.

"I mean, how can someone's parents be so… stupid?" she fumed, pacing up and down the campsite.

Zuko's face was buried in his unrolled sleeping bag, the rest of his body sprawled out carelessly. "You're forgetting Ozai," he said, without lifting his face when addressing her. Unluckily for him, his words only fuelled her mood even more.

"Including Ozai! And another thing, how can she threaten her own child? Her so-called _only daughter_?"

"Ozai threatened me. Heck, he threatened me all the time. And Toph is the only Bei Fong kid, so it's fine to call her the only daughter. My uncle told me they were always a small clan."

"Are you _defending_ them?"

"No. But why did you have to read Toph's letter? It's even addressed to her."

Katara stopped pacing, standing next to the dried up fireplace. "I was curious." She raised an eyebrow. "Zuko, why on earth are you so tired? You're meant to _rise with the sun_, right?" she mimicked his words at the Northern Water Tribe quite poorly.

He groaned, rolling onto his back to face her, but instead he used his arm to shield his eyes. "It's not my fault the sun refuses to go away."

"This is impossible," she agreed, folding her arms. "How many days have passed since we ran into Hawky?" She walked back onto Zuko's side of the campsite, towering over his lazy form, her foot tapping furiously when he made no move to answer. She had good reason to ask this question, one she had been asking for days, only to receive no answer. Ever since the two's encounter with the stray messenger hawk, the following hours were only filled with constant sunlight. There would be those splendid times when a shy cloud would drift in its shining path, but only doing so much to block it out. Aside from being a constant bother when trying to sleep and telling the correct time of day, Katara's waterbending was not at its strongest. And Katara despised it when her waterbending was not at its strongest.

"How do you know it's… Sokka's bird?"

"_Sokka's bird_?"

"I refuse to say Hawky out loud." A moment passed, and he sighed, sensing the grin about to form on Katara's face as they both realized the error in his last statement. "Just continue."

She huffed with frustration and rolled her eyes. "If you don't know how many days, at least say so instead of answering with something totally off-topic."

"Fine, I don't know because I haven't been keeping track. Oh, and as for the hawk, it's female."

"Huh?"

"It had eggs in the nest," he explained. "But it's very strange, because they don't use female hawks for the delivery thing. The females are all kept in the hatchery back at the Communication Tower and on the Capitol City."

"Apparently firebenders are also sexist. You're just like Sokka."

Now he sat bolt upright. "I am _not_ like Sokka." He pointed his finger at her as though he was in a drunken stupor. "It's a fact that they don't use the females for anything other than producing eggs and young hawks. I'm not being sexist – actually, _you_ are for assuming that I am." Having made his point, he relaxed back onto his sleeping bag, closing his eyes.

She narrowed her own pair. "Thanks for that."

"My pleasure."

"So… what do you think is the cause of the endless sunshine?"

At this, he opened his eyes and pushed his hair out of his face. "The Comet's arrival could be disrupting things. But a common cause in summer for the far western islands is that the sun is taking long to set. See, it's much stronger in summer, and even more so because of the Comet. Basically, it'll dim only a bit when it's rising and setting, but shine fully for the rest of the day. The whole phenomenon is called Teisuu. Though I've never experienced this type before – on Ember Island, it usually goes as dark as before it rises in the morning, and even that was only for one summer. So you're not the only one who's annoyed."

"Just the other day you gave me a history lesson about long coats – now it's science… Gee, thanks, Zuko."

"Anytime, Katara, anytime," he drawled.

She raised an eyebrow, her eyes lit with just a flicker of… concern? "Well, at least your bending's still good," she said, always the optimist. She stepped over to the side of his tree, sitting down to his right with her knees drawn to her chest. Tilting her head back, she continued without looking at him. "Still, you shouldn't be so… drained. You should be more awake than me!"

"I'm fine just waiting for the actual Sozin's Comet."

Katara's head snapped back up upon hearing that name. As much as she would have liked to deny it, she had practically forgotten about the legendary arrival that could grant any firebender the greatest power of all. Along with that old feeling of anxiety, she stopped to actually remember with a drop of guilt the other members of Team Avatar. She wondered how Toph's metalbending had improved, and if sandbending was now her specialty, and how she would react after hearing about the letter. She thought of her highly-spirited brother, and if he knew the truth of his messenger hawk or if he had taken another shopping trip since his sister's departure. Was Suki now taking over the gang's welfare – cooking, hygiene, training times? If she had, would Katara be able to resume those responsibilities – which she had adjusted to nicely and secretly enjoyed – once she returned? And then there was Aang. His training, his state of mind, his feelings… A part of her wished those feelings were no longer there to be wasted on her; one who wanted to return them so that he would be happy and content, but could not. It was for the wrong reasons she wanted to return them, and even so, in that dark part of her mind in which she also had her 'opinions', she could say that she was not attracted to him in such a way… no, even the thought of being more than what they were now gave her a slight shock. He was her fun-loving, penguin-sledding, airbending friend whom she likened to family. But now as she struggled to successfully grasp the reality of the situation, she wondered what – after he had fearlessly revealed his feelings for her – they would become… what that really made them…

"Katara?"

"Hm?" And out of her daydream she was pulled.

"You were unusually silent." He sat up more calmly, his long legs stretched in front of him. "It's about the Comet, isn't it?"

"In a way…"

Zuko frowned. "Is it the others?"

She heaved another sigh. He displayed the interesting ability to read her mind and actions; sometimes appreciated, sometimes not. "Yes. But it doesn't matter. Let's focus on this mission." She clambered to her feet, starting towards her side of the campsite.

"It's okay. I'm worried too."

Katara stopped, turning around to find that he was also on his feet, the map of the island clutched in his left hand as he surveyed her. Her sky blue eyes locked onto his fiery gold, and she tried her best to ignore the flutter that danced through her heart. But she found that she did not want to ignore it – her icy wall was slowly crumbling, just like the Northern Water Tribe's had during the Siege of the North. For a moment they stood there, neither betraying too much emotion, neither even doing so much as blinking. She opened her mouth to say something – anything – just to break this trance that was causing her heart to beat faster and faster. _Why is this happening?_ Only a little puff of breath left her lips, and she was not sure if it was the delusion of the time, but this moment felt like it went on forever.

He was unsure of what to do, what to say next. He watched as her hand, hanging at her side, began to nervously fist the blue skirt of her halter-neck tunic. She was watching him, too, and as soon as she had started, he knew it was something in his previous three words that had induced such… an occurrence? But he could not say that this happened every day, for by then they would already be – no, he had to end this train of thought. He knew where it was going, and he felt the careless part of him that wanted it to go there cry out. It was wrong to think this but his past was, most certainly, his past, and could hopefully be put behind him. But he had _tried_ to put it behind him, and as hard as he had done so, it would not budge. It did not bother him as much as it used to, but still… there were so many things left unanswered. Was he a coward for not asking them, for not forcing them to be answered, for not trying harder? Whatever the case was, inside he felt inspired to persevere; inspired by the most unlikely person he would have ever met – oh, but here she was, standing before him.

He could feel his eyes squint in concentration as he looked back on the days since this mission had started. She had been normal at first, and so had he, but it was easy to say that they had both changed – maybe not physically, but mentally and emotionally indeed. Katara had been acting strange for some time now, but her feelings were still hard to decipher as they had been back then. The only thing he was sure of about her feelings was that she had accepted him; her somewhat apologetic tone yesterday was proof enough, as well as that delicate smile she unconsciously formed on her lips whenever she was pleased. As she looked at him with innocent surprise, he knew it was not the sunlight that made her shine like she did now. Yes, her feelings were hard to understand, but he was slowly starting to make sense of his own. He wondered if he should try this, for doing so was risky. Then again, Uncle Iroh had always said that he acted without thinking things through; without thinking of the outcome.

Reluctantly, Zuko cleared his throat. "It's time we got to the main part of this mission. I wanna get back soon as well," he lied. "We have to be there for the Comet's arrival, plus Toph should know about this letter."

She closed her mouth. He was infamous for catching her off-guard. But she found that she did not want to speak, for fear of spewing something of the disappointment she held for his mentioning of returning to 'reality'. This time alone together… it made her realize things and feel something different. Looking back, she _knew _that she hated him, but with more knowledge of and time spent with him, she found that she had unconsciously forgiven him. Zuko could definitely be called a friend. Her friend. Her friend that did not exactly fit into the same category as that of Aang.

* * *

The long coat felt as nice as it had when Katara had first put it on. She was not sure how much time had passed since they had plotted where to leave Appa during the seeking out of Yon Rha on the other side of the towering volcano. After plucking and tweezing the newest forest-grown decorations from its black ripples, she had slipped it over her head. It clung to her legs slightly firmer now that she had abandoned her bulky breeches in favour of her old filmy leggings. At least _something_ could help her in confronting Yon Rha – but certainly not her current state of mind. After lazy days of doing sunlit nothings, she had actually begun to relax. And now, with such an action previously procrastinated on finally about to happen, her mind had been yanked out of its comfort zone. It was funny, really, how she was never meant to relax on this mission; she was to face a murderer in the following hours. But she did not doubt her ability. Although she was unsure as to what she would say or do, she had to show him that it was she who was the waterbender.

Aside from all of that, she thought again of the other members of Team Avatar. How much time had she spent on this part of the island, planning but not really planning for this big meeting in which she would confront her past? And it was from that answer that she made the decision to be completely focused during the Comet's arrival.

She heaved a sigh; their belongings had been gathered together, and were being piled into Appa's saddle by Zuko. Since he was taking his sweet time due to the Teisuu, she had been tasked with messing up the campsite to make sure it looked as though no one had occupied it. And from what she had done so far, that was proven to be especially hard for her. Why, this place looked cleaner after what she had done to it! Katara could not believe she had spent so much time in this little area; a flat muddy clearing, shaded lightly by a thin canopy of leaves. Life on this campsite had not been the most desirable, but the company of the firebender had made it somewhat bearable. And now as she ran her eyes over the newly vacant space, it looked as though it had never been lived in at all – at least, to her it did. She might remember it, for it was the place she had befriended that company. With a deep breath, she forced herself to stay rooted on earth, and not let such thoughts invade her currently vulnerable mind. Instead, she raised an eyebrow at the amusing sight of Zuko trying to entice Appa with a stick. He had probably asked her to mess the site up for his personal amusement, and so a little idea for revenge popped into her metallic mind, if only to lighten the mood.

"Come on, you're a vegetarian just like Aang… Look, look at this!" He started waving the stick desperately in the air. "It's just like how you soar in the skies."

She stifled a snicker and walked up to them. "Zuko-"

"Okay, Appa, I'm not gonna put up with this any longer," he said firmly, his tone annoyed but serious. "You are going to come with us, whether you eat this charred firewood or not. And you're gonna come quietly, or else I'll- Ugh!" His threat was interrupted when Appa's pink tongue burst out of his mouth without warning and proceeded to cover Zuko's entire front in bison slobber.

Katara's snicker came out in the form of a long stream of laughter. "Not like that," she managed after she recovered; after she had doubled-over.

He flapped his arms, trying to shake the saliva off of his body. "Clearly."

She coughed, choking back another string of chuckles. _Revenge was never sweeter._ "You're so brash. You're not even trying to be nice. Here, let me show you the right way." She flashed him a smug smile before easing the stick out of his grasp and going up to Appa's face. "Hey, boy," she said, "how are you today?" A pause as the bison grunted, his breath lifting Katara's dark brown hair. "Good. Listen, Sparky and I need you to come with us so you'll be safe. You will, won't you, Appa? The faster we get going, the faster we get to see Aang again…" At this, Appa's beady eyes widened, and he pushed himself to his six feet. She laughed, scratching the side of his furry neck with the stick. "Let's go, then." Zuko stepped aside as she breezed past, the enormous bison following her closely like a loving polar bear dog. "You too, Zuko!" she called.

He was still taking it in, his long coat in hand, his mouth pinched to the side and his eyes narrowed. She had always been a feisty one, but she was the opposite of cunning. When had she become so… "…evil."

"What?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder.

Oh right, he could deal with it, he remembered. Smirking, he turned and caught up to them. "I can't believe you blackmailed Aang's pet," he put in casually.

She whipped around to face him. "It's not blackmail!"

"Sounds like blackmail to me."

"It's _not_ blackmail… it's a reminder that something good will happen if he comes with us," she said slowly.

"As in," he leaned down to her level, "blackmail." He grasped the top of the stick and pulled it from her hand before tossing it aside. With a brush of the shoulder, he moved past her and took Appa's dangling reins, beginning to lead the way through the trees towards the pond.

Katara scowled, her cheeks turning red. With a huff, she turned on her heel and stomped after him. Curse him for foiling her actions, right after she thought she had won. If only he left a gap in his words, just like she had when she blackmailed Appa. He tugged his long coat over his body as he walked. Her scowl started to fade as she recollected her previous thoughts; now that she thought about it, Zuko had become her friend, yes, but there was still something almost reassuring about the way their teasing friendship worked. It was one odd relationship that someone else could hardly call a friendship, but the way she understood it, it was actually likable.

She looked up at the persistent sunlight, seeping through the thick canopy of trees. At least something dimmed the lasting light. They walked in silence, as though it was some unspoken rule when stepping along this path. They arrived at the pond, giving the intelligent bison instructions to remain patiently in the clearing until their return, unless he heard the bison whistle; continue to carry their belongings in his saddle; and to help himself to the clean pond water and the fruits left over from an insisted gathering trip done by Katara, though she herself had not eaten anything.

"Hey, you can't just walk off." Katara's voice had unexpectedly taken on a level, cold but dark tone. "Let's say goodbye to Appa, at least."

"We just said goodbye. Besides, we're not gonna be gone forever-"

"Zuko, please."

His eyebrow creased with concern; he knew that she was trying to tell him how uneasy and anxious she felt. Her actions were easy to read, although he could not say the same for her feelings towards her peers. It was rather strange how he could read everything else but that. Either way, she needed to be reassured; she needed to be confident, just like how she had been on the ship. "Okay," he said so softly it could have been a whisper. Zuko went up to Appa, held out his hand and touched the bison's fur. Giving it a stroke, he cracked a smile. "Take care, boy. We'll be back soon, and you'll hear the bison whistle if we need you to come to us." Appa grunted and moved his head forward to nuzzle Zuko, to which the firebender laughed uneasily. "I think you should comfort…" He completed his sentence by nodding in Katara's direction.

Katara was standing near the clear pond, arms folded tightly, looking at her tense reflection in the sparkling water, but she was not seeing it. All that she could see before her eyes was that day; the day she encountered Yon Rha as a young girl. A little gust of air brushed over the back of her neck, bringing her to reality once again. She turned around, in time for her cheek to be nuzzled by Appa's nose. She smiled faintly, returning the gesture with a pat.

"Katara," beckoned Zuko once she edged away, looking to the side. She responded by silently following him over to stand next to the base of the crag, right next to the pond. He held his arm out, in a gesture to help her start climbing first. "Want to get started?"

She nodded once, accepting his arm in order to boost herself up. "Let's."

* * *

The mass of rock was indeed a colossal volcano. It was too big for the eye to see that it had sprouted from the ground, and the entire length of sloping rock leading to the crater was hidden by hanging clouds. It was going to be a long way around the supposed mountain. Apparently, this volcano was the cause for the creation of Katara's self-proclaimed pond; when the firebender and waterbender duo scaled the crag's length, another linear stretch of water was trailing along the dark and ashy ground. It had the same white sand, actually, and Katara took something of pleasure in shifting the water this way and that, thus unsettling the sand, creating puffs in the water. Her mind was probably in shambles.

Finally the little water trail ended at the base of a rock. Upon looking higher, this rock formed the foundation for the cylindrical shape of the volcano. Instead of being a hapless clump of dark rock with an odd crag jutting out of its side to form a hook, it was now morphing into a volcano. It was not impossibly steep, but the shape was there, and Katara could see patches of lava splotched onto the ashy black colour in the distance.

Time was still distorted, the damned Teisuu at its best. They could be walking for hours, but even so, Katara would not tire. She was at her mind's edge, senses alert, ready to take on what was coming – at least she thought so. It scared her, and she was wondering why there were no doubts. Whenever she tried to picture a single doubt to get her to back out, all she could see was her mother and Yon Rha's eyes, both turned on her miniature form; one pair blue and pleading, the other angry and maroon. The air was drier at this height, especially with the volcano's help; she licked her lips repeatedly, taking deep breaths.

These thoughts were not getting her anywhere. _Time for a distraction…_ She fixed her gaze on Zuko's straight back, covered in the same long coat as herself. His scarf was up, from what she could see. Was the volcanic air toxic? Surely he would have told her. Come to think of it, he had not said anything since they climbed the crag. At least he respected her need for silence, to be left alone with her thoughts. But it made her feel bad; how did she know that _he_ would not get tired? How did she know that _he_ was not bursting to speak? Then again, he was mainly silent unless spoken to, and being a firebender he was meant to have a long energy span. _Yes, he should be fine._ No need to worry at all.

After a period of time seemingly too long for Katara, the patches of lava started to grow in number and come closer to the path their feet crunched upon. The lava was a delicious, bright mixture of amber and mahogany-orange, catching Katara's attention and scattering her thoughts. As they walked, the patches were turning into flowing, interconnected streams, though still quite small. _Streams…_ Perhaps, if she tried, she could bend the lava?

At her sides, her fingers tingled with the urge to lift and curl and roll the lava into a floating orb. Or stream it. Or freeze it – oh, that sounded exciting. She had to bend the lava. Abruptly, Katara came to a halt in front of a small puddle of the glowing substance. Noticing her pause, Zuko stopped walking, turning to look at her. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice raspier than usual from not being used during the silent period.

"I want to bend the lava," she answered robotically.

"But you're-" he paused, clearing his throat "-sorry, you're a waterbender. Lava's made of liquid earth and fire."

"You just said it was liquid, so I'm gonna try and bend it. Plus, water's capable of holding up earth – I can treat this like mud and get away with it."

"If you really want to…"

"I do," she insisted. "It's just an experiment. Give me a second." She turned to face the lava puddle, her legs stretched apart and her arms out in front of her in a good bending stance. She took a deep breath, and began to drift her arms up and down slowly, as though she were pushing and pulling the water like she once used to practice. But something was not right. The lava was answering her call, hearing her chi's commands, but it was not moving. She could feel it, sense it, similar to the blood in a person's body while bloodbending – the memory delivered her the tiniest twinge of pain, but it was very brief. She tried again, and nothing happened. Irked, she began to impatiently swing her arms in choppy movements she had seen the swampbenders use.

"Katara, calm down…"

"Oh, I'm not angry, I just want to make this lava move." She tried again, bringing her arms down hard. She was _not_ overreacting – these were swampbending movements, and he had no right to discriminate. A frustrated grunt pushed past her teeth when, yet again, nothing happened.

Next to her, Zuko's face became warning. "We have more important things to worry about – you're letting your nerves get the best of you! I know you're worried, but it doesn't mean you should hurt yourself trying to prove something."

"I'm… not… proving- ugh!" The lava shifted slightly, but it was not what she was hoping to achieve. "I'm not proving anything. I just-" She was cut off when an enormous bursting sound came from in front of her. Thank the spirits the volcano was not erupting, but instead the crater, filled to the brim with lava in front of Katara, was finally responding – in the form of a tall, looming wave about to crash down on the shocked waterbender. She could do nothing but gape, the blue of her widened eyes reflecting the amber colour. It infuriated her that at times of danger, she became frozen like this. But Zuko's voice thawed her out.

"Follow my movements and bend!" he commanded. She closed her mouth, holding her hands in front of her, getting the lava's attention and attempting to push it back into its crater. Again, nothing happened, and the wave was just about to reach her when it just stopped. Almost as abruptly as when Katara had stopped just to try this dangerous 'experiment'. Looking to the side, she saw Zuko mirroring her waterbending moves with firebending ones, occasionally glancing at her to make sure the moves were more symmetrical. The lava slid back into its basin, going as if the moment was being rewound. For another few moments, they stared at the lava after relaxing their chi.

Katara, ashamed, could not make herself meet eyes with Zuko – though his eyes were not even scanning her like she thought they would. "…I'm sor-" She was stopped when Zuko held up a hand. "But-"

"Let's go," he said, taking her arm gently but holding it firmly and towing her behind him for a good length of the remaining distance. Maybe it was to comfort her, or maybe it was to prevent her from repeating the mistake. For Zuko, he felt it was a mixture of both. He was still mesmerised at the phenomenon that had just occurred – lava was able to be manipulated by ordinary firebenders and waterbenders, not just by the Avatar. Although he did not want anyone to get hurt, it was something he was eager to explore and investigate. After this mission, he might consider asking Katara to practice this new art with him, but only if she was willing.

Before either of them knew it, they had arrived on the other side of the volcano, looking over the developed side of the island, slightly dimmer as it faced away from the sun, shielded by the volcano; perhaps this was what nightfall during intense Teisuu looked like. It was just a small yet spread out village, large areas of rock formations and grass between the settlements, marking remains of the wilderness. This side of the island was also significantly smaller, with just this village and then a huge grass plain leading to a muddy shore. These people were not worried about developing the Rongyan Shui village into something more civilized, but studying the map, it was easy to navigate. Finding Yon Rha was little to worry about.

It was confirmed that they were going to rest before setting out again. But immediately after that, a tiny tap on the shoulder caused Zuko to turn around, and to be met with a blank-faced Katara solemnly folding her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, embracing him tightly. With her head tucked neatly on top of his shoulder, eyes downcast, she whispered, "Thank you. For everything."

Zuko thought that he really should not respond with anything in kind, but his side that had cried out earlier in the day cried out once more, and his arms found their way around her waist, returning the exchange, holding her so gently as though he was afraid to break her. But, in her mind, Katara's defence was crumbling; her feelings, whether it was towards Zuko or the coming confrontation she did not know, announced themselves when two tears dripped from her eyes, a sob sounding in her throat, hitching her breathing. She pressed her lips together in an attempt to stop herself, but another mutinous sob made itself heard. She turned her head so that it was buried in his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut yet the tears still flowing as she let go of the apprehension she had been holding onto for too long.

He heard her, although muffled by his shoulder, and his hold tightened around her lithe form. His face was impassive, though there were too many thoughts buzzing behind it, daring to show through on his sharp features. Deciding to distract himself with things he knew he should not, he diverted his thoughts not to the feelings behind this moment, but rather the actions… the action. Hm, she did not smell like the ocean, as he supposed she would, being a waterbender and all. She smelled… of purple berries, the delicious fruit grown in the Fire Nation that, if used raw, could dye anything purple. But her skin was still its usual tone of hazel brown, he noted… This feeling was quite a pleasant one; just holding her, helping her let go of the sadness… it was actually ironic that _he_ was helping _her_. He ignored this fact, concentrating on what was happening now; he might not mind if something like this happened again in the future – oh, there he was, getting ahead of himself. But as he bowed his head down to her level, chin just about to touch her shoulder, he discovered something else that had become very important to him.

At last, Zuko knew for sure; he knew with a certainty that Katara had forgiven him.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading! Remind me to never skip a few chapters and start a later one first. Seriously, this required a whole lot of kicking and reshaping to be what it is now… But you don't have to remind me to thank you all for the faves, alerts and reviews :)**

**Now, am I the only one who has been waiting for something like this to happen? I hope not. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy writing it :3 I'll try my best to bring you LATD (much easier than typing the whole title out over and over) goodness quicker, since I'm eager to finish it now that I've got too many fics dying to make their way out of my spinning mind and onto the dear computer that I've named Diego.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter, in which Katara finally confronts her past :O**


	11. Stormy Skies

**A/N: I need to get my head back in the game! (High School Musical pun unintended.) Without further ado and for as long as I can keep my eyes open… here's the next chapter!**

**But before that, you've noticed that I'm taking the Zutara slow in this fic, right? I mean, where's the substance if they have a fight and end up tackling each other to the ground in a whirl of teenage hormones (keeping in mind that they are still teenaged)? …yeah, none. Except maybe 'cause Katara can bend water which is a substance… Ahem, **_**moving on!**_** The point is this: I can promise you that the end of this chapter will be… explosive. ;)**

**Disclaimer: SuperSonic Violet does not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything copyrighted mentioned in this fic. She does, however, enjoy milking her imagination to the point where she can produce fics.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Stormy Skies**

* * *

It must have been early morning, for the sun was nice and subtle instead of insanely strong like in the afternoon. Katara considered this, recalling Zuko's geography lesson. She rose from her lone position on the damp, thickly grassed ground. At least it was not totally uncomfortable – from their viewing point on the volcano, it had looked fairly wild, but it was just out of control when they reached the grassy plain. The upside was the softer ground to lie on, but the downside was the miniscule horrors hiding in the green.

Zuko was asleep a distance away; she made her way silently to the ledge where the foot of the volcano began and climbed on top of it. Making her way higher and watching her step, she found a nice flat area to practice her waterbending and watch the sleeping boy in case they received any unwelcome guests. Well, if there was one, she was sure her sharp, watery pinwheels would slice them in two.

Uncapping the waterskin at her waist, Katara pulled out a slim stream of clear water. She closed her eyes and let a breeze lift her hair, which was finally beginning to settle after all the torture it had been through since they had arrived on Rongyan Shui. Her trembling fingers wove the water into many patterns around her, and as the morning minutes slowly drifted by, her fingers trembled no more.

* * *

"You sure you've been?" Zuko checked with Katara once again. "We don't want all the excitement getting to you."

"Yes, I've been already! I'm mature enough to know about my bladder, Zuko." She rolled her eyes, making sure she included that characteristic tinge of bitterness while saying his name, and tightened the material holding her hair back with a snap. "Do _you_ need to go?"

"Nope. I wasn't fooling around with water when the rest of the world was asleep."

"That fooling around can save your life someday, you know…"

"True. But I think I'll rely on my firebending for now." He smirked when she let out an annoyed huff. _It's so easy to wind her up._ Nudging her elbow, he said, "Come on. It's time we got moving."

She turned around and felt a hard pressure in her chest. She rubbed the space just below the centre of her collarbone, wondering why the muscle that occupied that cavity was beating so… strangely. She noticed Zuko was waiting, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, and she took a deep breath, whatever it was relaxing as she smiled nervously. "Lead the way."

It was proven to be a long way across the enormous sea of green grass that formed the plain. Every step that was belted out by their running feet seemed to increase the anticipation; though their steps were silent they were still, indeed, steps, and brought Katara closer and closer to her long-awaited confrontation. Her mask was up, like Zuko's, and she could hear the water contained inside her waterskin sloshing around – thankfully she had relieved her bladder prior to this. Her labored breaths were starting to get lost in the powerful wind that struck her face, sending tears streaking from her eyes. She ventured a look up into the sky; it was a dark, slate grey, the clouds heavy and rolling if she looked long enough. It seemed as though she was not the only one preparing for something drastic to happen. It was going to be more than just a simple weather phenomenon, but an emotional one, too.

Yes, she could sense the approaching storm, and she knew she was to be caught in it.

* * *

"Yon Rha, you idiot, these ain't litchi nuts – they're dang green berries! Get me somethin' else!" shouted a gruff voice that needed analyzing to decide whether it was male or female.

"Yes, mother." Ah, so it _was_ female. This was confirmed by the wheedling voice of a man.

It was by coincidence that Katara overheard the conversation taking place in the yard of a small, unkempt house they were passing by quietly. She latched her hand onto Zuko's shoulder and yanked him backwards, whispering behind her mask of her finding – the former leader of the Southern Raiders, the destroyer of her village, the murderer of her mother, was within the fence in front of the chunky stone they were crouched behind.

Zuko paused a moment to listen, before raising his eyebrow after hearing Yon Rha protest like a child that there were not enough litchi nut pips. Zuko snorted, standing up to peer around the stone and get a look.

"Then go 'n' buy some, useless waste o' space! Now I know why you ain't some hotshot leader no more!" howled his mother.

"Y-Yes, mother." The man called Yon Rha sighed and lifted himself from his kneeling position in front of a grey patch of cabbages. He plucked a brown, mianhua bag from an empty flowerpot and shuffled to the fence, attempting to climb over it.

There was a _thud_ when he cluttered to the ground, but when he did Zuko signaled for Katara to rise. "Let's get to the market before him." He showed her the rolled up island map that was tucked in his sash. "We know he needs litchi nuts, right?"

Katara nodded. "Yeah."

"So before he gets there, we need to hide the litchi nuts that are at the stall. This'll buy us some time for the next part of the plan…" Zuko drifted off when he saw Yon Rha halfway up a stone path. "C'mon. We can't lose him."

Yon Rha was an aged man. Katara noted this as she stalked behind a rock, watching him lope down the earthen stairs on the other side of a slope; the stony path was on the side left behind, but the pair had torn right across it and now spied on him from a pyre of crumbling rock stretching up a short distance in the cold air. The natural stairs twisted and turned, and even though it would have been easier to just walk in a straight line and ignore the curves, Yon Rha stuck on the path. From the viewing point, they could see the market just after a patch of trees.

Katara braced herself on the rocks, hopefully keeping a low profile. She had to see more of this man; was his face still a cruel sculpture of undetailed wrinkles? Or had he truly repented for his mistakes, the lines etching into his face permanently as a reminder of his regrets? She doubted the latter, but she had to see for herself – no one else would be able to tell besides her… and her mother.

_Pleading blue orbs… furious maroon daggers… the face of a terrified child reflected in both._

The emotions churning behind Katara's eyes had her dazed for a moment, and that moment could have cost her a lot if Zuko had not pulled her down behind the boulder just in time after nearly losing her balance. But she had seen all that was necessary when Yon Rha had whirled around to catch what made that sound. The poison was still in his eyes, no matter how humbling his life was now. The spite painted on his face was still glistening clearly. Even the way he had carried himself when he turned was the same, if only slower than when he had glanced at her as a child. Yon Rha was most certainly older, but had not changed in the slightest.

Katara narrowed her eyes as she and Zuko hopped away from the pyre to continue their pursuit._ I can deal with that._

* * *

Zuko's plan was shown to be a good one. They had arrived at the almost-abandoned market before Yon Rha, and since there was no one else minding the other battered stalls, it seemed the beefy man picking his teeth with a leaf was the only person they would have to steal from today. Katara raided a few stalls for a rope, and instead found an oddly coiled thin string. She reasoned that it would be more of a surprise – and pleasingly painful – for Yon Rha to trip, rather then being suspended from a tree… Oh, but that sounded pretty good, too. _It could be used either way, couldn't it?_ She shrugged and tucked it into her sash. Poking her head out from behind the grimy curtain of the stall, she spotted Zuko about to stick a litchi nut seed in the man's ear. Sighing, she picked up a rock and threw it at the stall; the man jerked out of his daydream and, coincidentally, received Yon Rha who had just arrived at the pathetic excuse for a market. Hopefully Zuko hadn't been seen, but apparently he had already skulked away.

The beefy man twisted around to check for litchi nuts, and whatever he told Yon Rha made him look like a bearded cat that had been scrubbed in a river. Katara smirked under her mask. "Did you find the rope?" Katara jumped and lost her balance, collapsing onto the gravel beneath her feet. "Shh! They'll hear us," hissed Zuko, grasping her arm before she could lash out in her panic. "It's me."

She shook free of his grip and pushed herself back onto her haunches. "How do you move so fast? Ugh, never mind. I found some string. I thought we could use a tripwire instead of the original idea."

"That's fine too. It's easier to set up." Zuko knelt down beside her. "The litchi nut seeds have been… dispatched. It should take a while to find a substitution. In the meantime, let's place the tripwire and get this done – I think you've waited long enough."

"…Me too."

He cleared his throat softly. "Come on, then. We don't want to waste time."

"Yeah." She nodded and rose. Again, she felt that annoying pang in her chest, squeezing uncomfortably, her heart picking up its pace but beating dully.

"You okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nervous."

"Don't worry, I'll be your backup if anything goes wrong. But he's ancient, so I doubt anything might." He got to his feet in a fluid motion and held his hand out to her. They really should leave now, for Yon Rha would be done any moment. She took his hand uneasily, cringing when another squeeze went off in her chest. _What is going on?_ This was starting to get on her nerves. As soon as she was upright, she released his hand quickly and stalked out of the stall before he could register what she was doing. The further she got from him, the better the pain could be nullified.

They found themselves running again, Zuko occasionally looking over his shoulder to see how far Yon Rha was. Finally, they arrived at the patch of trees through which a wide path ran. The clouds above were darker now and the rumbling of thunder could be heard, but not as loud as the beating of Katara's heart sounded to her while she helped tie the tripwire across the end of the path near the last of the trees. A shot of lightning tore through the sky, alerting her that the storm had come. That was when she heard footsteps, slow and leisurely, at the entrance of the mass of trees. She ducked between two bushes, a few steps behind the tripwire. There was her target.

Yon Rha was carrying the mianhua grocery bag, now filled with some sort of flowersquash seeds, strolling in the middle of the path.

She glanced above her, the branch of a tree jutting out and giving her an idea for a better vantage point. _Just a little bit further…_ And as soon as Yon Rha tripped and sprawled onto the ground, all of his seeds scattering, Katara noiselessly leapt up and hooked onto the branch, swinging herself up and into the leaves, out of sight and slightly wobbly. Yon Rha rolled over and kicked a strong fire ball at the bush she had been hiding in, a scowl pasted on his face. The bush had been obliterated, and there was no one behind it. His thick brow furrowing, he stood up and turned around, bending over to retrieve the mianhua bag. It was nowhere to be seen, and when he looked up, he found a masked person holding up the bag, casually leaning on a rock just outside the mass of trees.

"Looking for this?" said Zuko. Yon Rha straightened up, about to demand who he was, but Zuko then shot a cone of fire at him, forcing him to dodge. "You looked in the wrong place."

Katara sprung down from her perch, landing heavily in front of the man, shocking him to the point where he was staggering back. While twisting around to face him, she dragged a stream of water with her and hit him in the abdomen. He fell to the ground with a grunt. "Wh-Who are you?" he stuttered, wincing when he tried to stand.

She tugged her mask down to bunch at her neck, revealing her hard face. "Do you remember who I am?"

"No…" When Zuko raised his hand to blast him again, Yon Rha flapped his hands quickly. "No! Please, don't hurt me. Take whatever you want – gold, armour, my mother… anything! Please!" he babbled.

She ignored him. "I remember who you are. If you can't remember me, then I'll have to make you-"

"Wait! I… think I've seen you somewhere but… I can't put my finger on it…"

"I don't need you to put a finger on it. You need to put your whole _hand_ on it – that's what you did back then, right? You _murdered_ her – my mother – with your own hands!" She yanked the water violently from her waterskin and swatted his face. "Isn't that right, Yon Rha?" she shouted over the cracking thunder. She was losing patience, much like the rain preparing to pound the hot earth with water droplets.

"…You're that little Water Tribe girl. I'm sure you are, but how is it possible…? You can waterbend… how?" He seemed ready to give his face to Koh with the disbelieving expression on it.

"Isn't it obvious?" When he frowned, she gritted her teeth. "Don't you understand this means? _I_ was the one you were meant to kill. My mother gave her life for _me _– do you get it now? You took an innocent life." Her eyes started to water. "You killed someone for the wrong reason – in fact, you didn't even _have_ a reason to kill her. She is the reason I am alive right now, and there's a reason I came here. I won't leave until I avenge my mother," she finished shakily.

"You're just a girl." He tried his best to sound reasonable, sympathetic. "You shouldn't meddle-"

"I'm not just a girl," she snapped. "I'm a girl whose life you ruined – do you know how hard it is to grow up without a mother? Do you? You are so lucky to have a mother, especially for someone as horrible and undeserving as you." She moved her legs apart to get a firm bending stance. "And for what you did to us, I have every right to meddle!" she yelled, throwing her hands skyward. Stretching her arms in a swift, circular movement, the clouds started churning like a hurricane, mirroring her action.

"What are you doing?" he whispered.

There was a sickening crack and rain burst down from the heavens, lightning ripping the sky in half.

"_What are you doing_?" he repeated hysterically.

Katara spread her arms out next to her, the rain falling freely in sheets around her, soaking her hair and clothes. She flicked only one palm upwards, brought it in front of her and, her hand now shaped like an arrow with the fingers pointing at Yon Rha, gripped the rain with her chi energy. She connected her spiritual being to the rain, which paused then, and she dragged her hand towards her in the direction of her chest – exactly where the pain had been. The rain started to slither outwards from her and Zuko the closer she pulled her hand, until she touched the place at her chest where her heart raced wildly. The other hand went in a rounded, swiping motion to join the first hand. Now she and Zuko were enclosed in an orb of crisp air, the rain falling around them making a hard impact on the warm ground, creating a thin mist. She blinked, her vision clearing as she returned to reality, separating herself from her spiritual being which was now controlling the rain; falling so hard that Yon Rha was pasted to the ground, unable to stand.

"What is this?" she heard him roar.

Her voice bounced off the wall of water when she spoke, echoing. "I'm showing you my abilities. I'm not just a girl – I was the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. You were meant to kill me because of that. It would have been better for your safety, Yon Rha." She spoke his name with disgust, as if it dirtied her lips by just saying it.

"Stop!" he gargled. "Please! I surrender! I-I'm sorry!"

Her eyebrows creased inwards. She did not believe him. He was hurling excuses and attempted diversions at her ever since she arrived here. There was more to Yon Rha than that bawling pile of bones she could give a harsher name to, but thought it against her morals. She frowned deeper, closing her eyes and trying to tune out his wails and the feeling of being watched by Zuko. This man had murdered her mother, traumatized her, forced her to grow up before her time and made her hunt him down and almost forget about her friends. Yet here he sat, helpless and immature. It was satisfying to the side of her that was brimming with hatred and vengeance. But her morals kept poking at her mind.

It would be completely wrong to take his life, no matter how much pain she had been put through on his part. He was still a person, she supposed. He had someone to provide for, even though his relationship with his mother seemed rough. But no… he had still done something bad – terrible, the worst thing anyone can do to someone… At least, it felt that way to her. There were people out there who had experienced more contemptible things. This was just her problem.

So if there was no reason to spare him, should she just drown him now and be over with it?

"No…" she whimpered.

She remembered something – something important. It had been one of those early days… But it was something Aang had said. It had been so long ago, right when they had first arrived at one of the Air Temples, when she was still getting to know him. He had been telling her about the monks' values that had been instilled in him – one of them being that every living thing was important and should be spared, and should only be harmed in the act of defense or protection. He had also gone on to say that he was bound to these values, and would never betray them in his entire life. This was the core reason Katara knew that, when the time came, Aang would not kill the Fire Lord. He had not talked about it often, if at all, but she knew it somewhere deep down. Aang would not be very happy with her after finding out that she had killed someone – actually, even without considering Aang, it went against every fibre of her being.

Katara could not – would not – kill another person. There were consequences, yes… But even so, she just could not do it. She was a waterbender; she healed and brought life, not destroyed, as spoken in praise by Master Jeong Jeong. She had done exactly this when she was posing as the Painted Lady, who would be against even the thought of killing someone. When learning more about healing from Yugoda, back in the Northern Water Tribe, she had learnt that water was the element of substance. From her very own Master Pakku, she had come to know her element involved using the opponent's offense as defense. Her face relaxed as she arrived at the answer thanks to the people who had, each in their own way, taught her something valuable.

What Yon Rha had done to her and her family had all been part of the offense. He had not exactly made her who she was, but what he had done had turned her into a person with a stronger mind. She had grown a lot, opening doors to opportunities that were just shining lights in the mass of blackness that took the form of her hatred. If this hatred had been the offense, contained within her body for too long, then what she had to do here was use it as her defense… Though it would be more than that. She would be emptying out all of that pain and sadness and hatred, giving it back to him to show how ruthless his actions had been. She would not kill him, for that would show that his blackness had consumed her. She would take those shining lights and use them to protect her loved ones and herself this time. And as for the roiling blackness… she would throw it away. It was time to put the message in the bottle and send it floating down the river, hoping Yon Rha might get that message. Either way, it was time to let go.

She opened her eyes, feeling Zuko's warm hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him. "Are you sure you can handle this?" he asked her. "We can go now if you want. He looks like he's finished."

"No, Zuko," she murmured and eased out of his grip, the pang ringing in her chest. "I'm ready to do this." _I'm ready to let go._ She pulled down the dome of brisk air which had sheltered them from the rain. Clustering the droplets around her, she dragged the huge ball of water around until the rain softened up. Flinging her hands high, the water listened and separated into thin, sharp icicles. Yon Rha, worn out from the brute force of the water, lolled his head to the side to peer at Katara with a glassy look. Looking him pointedly in the eyes – those maroon pools of ink – she closed her eyes and pitched the icicles forward and onto the ground. She heard a sharp intake of breath from Zuko, but chose to ignore it for now. He really thought she was going to do that, didn't he? Maybe he thought it a conflict to her character, too…

Yon Rha lay there, still, a ghostly expression on his face as he stared at the clear ice spears that could have impaled him at every possible direction. And it was by that Water Tribe girl's choice that he was still alive. The rain didn't fall as hard now.

Katara turned around, astounded at what had just happened. She had grown so used to this swirl of dark feelings inside of her that it felt as though she were walking on air to be free of them. She reached the end of the path and stepped out into the stretch of grass that ended at the foot of the slope with the winding stairs. She was in such a brilliant daze… There was a weightless feeling in her stomach, too. Goodness, she just wanted to breathe the fresh, rain-charged air that entered her lungs so wonderfully she could practically inhale all the air in the world. That was why she did not sense it coming when there was a galloping sound behind her and Zuko suddenly disappeared from her side.

She turned around, the faint smile disappearing from her face when she saw Zuko twisting Yon Rha's arms behind him, the old man writhing wildly. Zuko shoved him to the ground in a heap before Katara bound his limbs with ice cuffs connected to the ground.

"Why?" he fumed. "Why didn't you kill me? Why don't you take my life… or even _my_ mother's? The old bat'll probably beat you to a pulp anyway. Are you a coward? Why'd you let me live, huh? Tell me, girl! Tell me-"

"I don't want to be like you," Katara interrupted his crazed dialogue. "If I killed you, I would be lowering myself to your standards – I would be just as bad as you. You are a pathetic excuse for a man, because a noble, good man would accept his defeat after a duel – and a good man would never kill someone recklessly, especially an innocent woman. You're disgusting and disgraceful. I would never want to dirty my mother's grave by becoming you.

"And I'm not the coward here – you are. You tried to run away from these things, and they just came back to bite you. What makes me different is that I let it go; I decided it wasn't worth it to hold onto my hatred for you. I've wasted enough of my time on it, and I'm moving on. Of course, I can never forgive you for what you did, and neither can I forget what you did, but I won't hold a grudge. I'm sparing your life – oh trust me, you can have it – so that you can see the error of your ways. I'm not going to kill you, but I hope my mercy makes you see just how lucky you are to be alive and what you denied my mother of.

"I don't care about you, Yon Rha. I'm done here. Goodbye."

It was a long walk back over the mountain, but it was a walk Katara would never forget. She had plenty of time to think and process what had just happened, and with a deep breath, she walked on behind Zuko, ready to embrace the bright rays of a brand new day. At last, she was free.

* * *

It was when Zuko loaded his shoulder bag into Appa's saddle, back at the campsite which was being occupied for the last time, that he heard the loud sob coming from Katara.

She was in the middle of the campsite, her back to Appa and Zuko and the fireplace, sitting with her hands holding her knees to her chest. The campsite had stayed mostly the same after their departure, which had been only a few days in total. They had spread their sleeping bags out in Appa's saddle, in order to make it quicker to leave the island of Rongyan Shui the following morning. After she had rolled out her sleeping bag, Katara had stepped away from the joyful flying bison and relieved firebender, feeling as though she was going to burst. But in fact, it was just the full force of realization overcoming her, oozing tears from her wide, sky blue eyes.

She felt Zuko's presence beside her but did not look up. She knew he had knelt beside her when she saw his longer legs curling beside hers, knees drawing up as close to his chest as they could without help from his arms, which were at his sides; one was sending tingles along her own arm as they touched each other. Suddenly, the arm closest to her disappeared, pressing around her back and doing a fair job of comforting her.

Body trembling, Katara turned her head to look at him. They were in closer proximity of one another, their gazes locking. For a moment they sat there, caught up in their own individual thoughts, unconsciously looking at one another.

He might be shocked at the mess she was right now, but that did not matter. She wanted to tell him so much, and yet it felt so difficult. She blinked. Zuko… he had done a lot for her. He had saved her a number of times, proven to her how much it meant to him for her to accept him, but it turned out she had done more than accept him. He had also made her realize things fully, and that pang in her chest that kept sounding like a bell had finally quietened. She and Zuko had become very close, developing an understanding, a strong bond, which both knew the other would never be able to share with someone else. They were closer friends now, closer allies. It did not occur to her then how much she wanted to be close to him… but in truth, they were.

She became aware of this when her lips brushed against his.

His half-lidded eyes were a deep, luxurious shade of gold. They seemed to not just look into her own eyes, but into her soul. It seemed to only emphasize how much he understood her, how easy it was for him to read her, but did he know that she understood him too? She certainly hoped so, for she knew the reason why what had been building up between them had not been deepened into what it was meant to become – a kiss.

They both knew the reason; and put simply, it was wrong.

His forehead pressed against hers, and they sat there, breathing evenly, lips only brushing very faintly every time another breath was taken. His arm moved away from her back, resting on the ground to support his body, but also to prepare to move away ever so slightly. She lifted her own arm to lightly sink her fingers into the material of the long coat's mask bunching low at his collarbone. She knew what she wanted to do – refuse to release the material and keep him there, even after he had to kiss her just to see if she would let go. But no… She pursed her lips, finding that his were pressed together as well, as he stared off in another direction. She used the material to push him or her – she did not know – gently away. She turned her body and looked ahead, another realization dawning on her.

She had stepped out of another storm of emotions and found herself about to be caught in another one. But this time it would, probably, be much worse than before: there would be no way to resolve it without someone getting hurt, namely her.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Feel free to give me hateful responses. The reply will be that I have gone into hiding under some random bridge in Romania.**

**Remember when I said the ending'll be explosive? Scroll up the page if you forgot. Well, I left it open for interpretation. And you, dear reader, can interpret it as 'backfiring'… or 'minefield'… or 'nuclear bomb'… or 'cannon fodder'… or if you see through my words and wish for a happy, optimistic (code for lying, according to Sokka) ending, then you can opt for 'firework', like from the Katy Perry song. XD**

**I did feel a bit bad, giving Katara such happiness and (kind of) taking it away and making things more complicated. Aww, but I hope there'll be Zutara at this rate. I'm totally game for it, don't worry, but it might take a while…**

**So, I've written a Zutara oneshot called **_**Gilacorns On Heat**_**! I've just published it – do check it out? :3 It's a bit of an aftermath of **_**Love Amongst the Dragons**_**, ****but won't give away too much.**

_**Next chapter:**_** We're going home again! I wonder what has been happening with the other four members of Team Avatar, and what the reaction will be upon our duo's return…**


	12. Not Quite Bitter

**A/N: Greetings, mortals. *being a sci-fi nerd 'cause I just watched Star Wars***

**I come in peace to tell you… that you have permission to hate me forever! I went to England right after I posted that last chapter, so there was no time to write. Especially with all the catching-up at school. Bleurgh. But I'm plenty inspired now (after going to the breathtaking White Cliffs of Dover, how can I not be inspired? *o*) so I'll do my best to finish.  
Currently, mid-year exam time has ended, and I am having a writing marathon… starting with this new chapter. :D**

**Disclaimer: Own anything copyrighted in this chapter, I do not. Own Star Wars, I do not. And own exams, I definitely do not.**

***prepares to award bonus points for guessing correctly why disclaimer's like that* **

* * *

**Chapter 12: Not Quite Bitter**

* * *

Why did it feel _so_ hot?

The air around her was practically smothering her instead of allowing her to breathe it. She twisted and turned in the material of her long coat, the air stagnant on all sides of her. It was bordering on unbearable – she was going to suffocate any minute now if things did not return to normal. She knew the air was humid and heavy, but it was impossible to be this bad. Deep gouges formed on her forehead among beads of sweat, making her hair stick to the back of her neck as her chest gave a mighty heave, her eyes opening. And they stayed open, taking in the sight in front of her with awe.

There lay Zuko, out of his sleeping bag and unusually close – close enough to make her draw the long coat higher around herself – to her on Appa's saddle. He was openly staring, an inscrutable, blank expression on his face. He lifted his hand, bringing it closer to her face, maybe so that he could move away the strand of hair plastered there. His finger was just about to make contact with her face and-

Katara woke up with a start… this time for real, she hoped. Her hands gripped her head, like a poor man would grab a gold piece, finding it to be perfectly sweat-free and dry. The air around her was thick, yes, but what she had conjured up in her mind was plain scary. She took a paranoid glance to her left; Zuko was tucked in his sleeping bag with his back to her, at the far end of the saddle, and she was opposite him near Appa's reins. Thankfully it had stayed that way. She was unsure how much more agony she would experience if there was a violation like in her dreams, because the estimated two days since the encounter with Yon Rha were torture.

She had gotten no sleep at all the very night of the incident, having had several strange dreams involving swallowing Aang's air-scooters and awkward encounters with Zuko. And she had felt the urge to cry a bit, now forgetting whether she had done so or not. The night after she had managed some sleep, drifting off to a faraway place only to be intercepted and dream of more encounters with Zuko, and was forced to take a forest walk to clear her head, though it was not proving effective, hence her current situation. Katara swung her legs over the edge of the saddle, hopping down as quietly as she could manage. He was a light sleeper, and probably knew wherever she went and how unstable her frame of mind was right now, but was simply being polite and ignoring it. Ah, speaking of which, the days were filled with nothing but silence, which was only broken to ask those necessary questions and to provide curt answers to them. So in short, the days were just as bad as the nights…

If only there was a way to settle this. No matter what path she took, there would be no positive outcome – at least not for her. If she came out and told him that she might just like him but did not like him at the same time, she knew the days would remain awkward. If she told him her heart belonged to another, she would be lying to him and herself – she was her own person. No male or otherwise anything could claim her like that. If she gave in to the dark side of her, which she was starting to name the Tainted Lady in opposition with the Painted Lady, she would cause unwarranted trouble for Zuko, herself and the others. That left the only option… Throw him into the volcano and tell everyone they had a cooking accident.

Katara smacked her forehead as she sauntered into the woods. She was a terrible liar anyway. A sigh leaked through her teeth as she started to take out her frustration on the branches that thought themselves brave enough to step into her path. Wait… why had she not thought of this before? Taking out her anger on something!

That night, at a time when the monsters from scary bedtime stories came out to snatch gullible infants, Rongyan Shui had been given an additional path through its thick, undeveloped forest. It was a generous creation, worthy of being slapped onto the map, and stretched all the way from an unsuspecting little clearing right to the shore.

* * *

Morning could not have come slower. The Teisuu had worn off; the sky was a refreshing clear blue, low-lying streaks of clouds zipping here and there. The air was still quite warm, but definitely cooler than the constantly sunny days, and brought relief to exposed skin. It was almost akin to the day Zuko and Katara had went down to the beach together, with the purpose of telling their friends news of their departure. _It feels so long ago…_ Leaning against the trunk of the tree where her sleeping bag once laid by, Katara began to feel a tad bit nostalgic. Everything seemed so much simpler – but was her being hostile towards Zuko really all that simple? Their relationship, good or bad, had never been 'simple' to begin with. It was based on an understanding, if she really thought about it…

A yawn broke through her lips. Katara had woken up with tremendous dark circles cupping her blue eyes, and the muscles in her legs were positively fried from all of the walking she did last night. Freshening up had not helped her feel more awake. Perhaps it was her groggy mood, the realization that today she was reuniting with the rest of her friends, or that it jerked her heart rather strangely to see Zuko's back facing her in such a cold way… They could not go on like this forever, she knew, and since he was an intelligent person, he might know that too.

This was why Katara moved away from the tree, ripping her gaze from the sky, and walked over to the boy who was tightening Appa's reins. "Zuko," she addressed him quietly, a part of her wishing he would not hear her.

But he stopped his current job and turned to face her as if nothing had happened between them. "Yeah?"

She bit her lip. What could she say now? _It means absolutely nothing to me that you are the one who tried to kiss me._ That option was flawed, namely because… it was a lie. Oh, but again arises the other option of telling him her heart belonged to an earthbender who was hiding underwater at the Eastern Air Temple… And then it struck her.

He might not care. Because he might not have feelings for her. Thinking on the incident from a few days ago, he had drawn away. He could have just went on going and kissed her, but he did not. He stopped. And Katara began to feel offended, though she conveniently forgot that she had drawn away too. Did it bother him that she was from the Water Tribe? That she was against his nation's actions?

And now it was _her_ turn to stop. Zuko was better than that. She sighed and accepted that engaging in that kiss would have caused a fuss amongst the group that was not needed at this point in time. But she still did not have anything to say to him that would be sincere; at least he was not pushing her to continue, for his gaze was a patient one. Then he spoke.

"Katara, I think we should-"

"We should start reading _Love Amongst the Dragons_ again," she blurted. _The words come _now_? They aren't even the right words!_ "I really, uh, want to pick up from where we left off – the princess got engaged, right?"

"Yeah, I think she did," he said, eyebrow rising. "We can read it on the way back, if that's what you want."

"Yes it is," she said quickly. "It's exactly what I want."

"All right, then. Get to work messing up the campsite."

She grinned. "Okay."

Turning around, she felt better than she had last night. She did not understand anything of what had just happened, but it could not have been bad. Her eyes stopped hazing over at random intervals, and the sun seemed to feel warmer on her bare shoulders and neck. She braced herself against her tree and began kicking up the moist earth, scattering dirt untidily. Moving around the campsite, kicking up dirt and shuffling leaves, she was lost in thought. As her mind carried her along, she found… that she was _not_ feeling better? Her brow furrowed; it seemed this would be happening a lot to her from now on. He had probably wanted to resolve it, make things clear. And she had as well, yet she had gone along with an irrelevant topic. Maybe she did not want to resolve it with him. Maybe she did not want to read _Love Amongst the Dragons_ with him. Maybe she wanted to tell him-

"Ouch!" she hissed when her kicking foot came fiercely into contact with a log that was once a makeshift bench.

Zuko whipped around to see what had happened. Katara was crouching down, hands clamped over the toe of one of her black muslin shoes. He watched her make hissing sounds, chanting 'ow' over and over. He turned back to Appa and began testing the strength of the reins by putting his weight onto them. _Note to self – Katara's weakness is in her toes._ He could not help the snort that sounded in his throat, and without looking, knew she had turned a glare on him. Zuko tried hard to ignore jumping to conclusions and analyzing his own thoughts on her; he succeeded, because he was Zuko, and for Zuko, it was little effort to tune things out. He had to admit this took slightly more effort, though. He sighed. For now, he would have to pretend that he was following what she implied by acting normal.

Because nothing could ever be the same again.

"Ahem, Zuko, are we ready to go now?" Katara had risen to her full height and was acting as though nothing had happened to her foot.

He nodded once. "Appa's much better than before. We'll be there in no time."

"Good." She moved to Appa's left side and gripped the reins, hoisting herself up and into the saddle. She inhaled the forest air for the last few times as Zuko took his place on Appa's head, the reins gripped firmly in his gloved hands. He snapped them once and alerted Appa to fly, the rush of air from the bison's movement making Zuko's loose long coat flutter and Katara's hair float behind her. She had almost forgotten how fit and fast Appa was before he had gotten injured, and smiled weakly to herself as the clearing in which ties had been forged grew more distant until she could no longer decipher it amongst the green.

They were now flying towards the end of the island, clouds sailing between her outstretched fingertips. She turned her body around to watch the nearly-transparent white streams scurry behind her, but froze when she saw a ship on the shore below them. Zuko had seen it too, and his eyes were fixed on it. They would not have paid it too much mind had it not been Azula's trademark Fire Nation vessel, its single large tower heavy and grand, casting a shadow on the shore. And although it was far, they could make out the solitary shape at the end of a row of guards – it was the Fire Nation's ruthless princess herself. She seemed to have her attention on… a ball at her feet? What was that mound of green, anyway?

"Zuko-"

"It's Long Feng," he answered Katara's forming question. "Jun said he was coming back here in two weeks, but he's brought Azula."

"Will they find anything?"

"As long as we remembered everything and covered our tracks, we should be fine."

"Right…" Katara thought guiltily back to her anger-filled expedition last night.

But she forgot that the moment she saw the red-clad guards, lined up on either side of Azula and Long Feng's exchange, bend down into what she thought was a firebending stance; they were crouching, one leg jutting out and a single arm stretched, ending with a balled fist. But no fire came forth – actually, what was about to happen was going to be a thousand times worse: Azula's fingers drew wide arcs in the air before her, licks of icy blue energy following them. When she brought them close to her, her small frame seemed to charge up with power, and then…

There was loud blast, and Katara shut her eyes tight, sensing the light bouncing off her features. Long Feng may not have been a pure believer in good, but she was sure that no one deserved an end like the one he had experienced. When they were at the Western Air Temple, she recalled Zuko saying that his sister was fourteen years of age. That was also Katara's age, and Azula had just murdered someone… They were the same age, yet one had qualms with thoughtless killing and the other had none, even when they both possessed special abilities… Perhaps Azula's were on a different level, but that did not change the horror settling over Katara. She did not realize that she had been shaking, or that her eyes were still clamped shut, until Zuko's hand rested on her shoulder.

Katara looked up, and her eyes met with his. For the first time since meeting him, she felt her jaw go slack and her legs weaken – and she was not even standing! It infuriated her that Zuko managed to catch her off-guard all the time. "I'm sorry you had to see that," he said gently, having had no other way to put it.

She hardly heard him, for she was becoming captured by the deep gold of his eyes; it did not bother her that his left eye was slightly duller, the skin there scarred and red. But she blinked, remembering that this was how the incident had happened, and quickly thought of another way to escape this situation. "You sound like a husband that was caught cheating by his wife," she snapped, but she could secretly not deny that she liked the softness of his voice.

He drew his hand away from her, a smirk tugging at his lips as he stared off ahead. "And how do you know what that sounds like?"

She narrowed her eyes, trying to keep away the grin threatening to show. "I've travelled the world," she declared smugly. "I think I've heard plenty."

"You're not the only one who's travelled," he said airily. "What I meant was that the men don't say it like that – heck, they don't say it at all!"

"Why? Was your little crew that seedy? Or was it you?"

Zuko sat up straight, as if an ice cube had been dropped down his shirt. "Some of them, yes… But you'll find most Fire Nation wives quite scary if their husbands cheat. The richer women would've had a mastery of combat – and that's not scary. The poorer women have a mastery of kitchen utensils." He glanced at her over his shoulder, his voice during speech mocking Katara's matter-of-fact tone, not to mention the posture. "It's absolutely terrifying."

Katara snorted. "I don't sound like that. And I don't sit like that either."

"You're doing it right now."

"You can't even see me!"

"But I know you're doing it."

She let out an annoyed grunt, her patience worn thin yet again, and let herself flop down on the front rim of the saddle, closest to Zuko. Her head resting on the top of the rim, she rubbed her eyes and stared up at the sky. They were surely moving at a great speed towards the rest of Team Avatar. One moment she was gazing up at the sky, and the next, pure white tinted with the palest of yellows. Her eyes roving around, she learned that they had entered a maze of clouds, the white sheets swirling around them as Appa flew on. The bison let out a groan, seeking advice for this confusing situation.

Zuko leaned forward and patted the bison's head. "Don't worry, Appa. Just keep flying straight ahead and stay focused. We'll be out of here soon."

But when the period of "soon" had passed, they were still in the clouds. After assuring Appa again, this time by Katara, it had become decidedly boring. There was no further heckling that could be thought of without the incident coming up. Even earlier on, it had been at the farthest corner of Katara's mind, but it was still there – pressing and pulsing…

_The tickle of his breath on her cheek… The shine of his half-lidded, deliciously golden eyes… The stark contrast between his warm arm and the cold air of a past storm… The feeling of his lips, surprisingly soft, barely brushing against her own…_ How would it feel if – oh no, these thoughts were too dangerous… Though it was not a crime to consider – no, no, no! It is wrong, it is unacceptable. But… what would it be like for his lips to be pressed to hers in a real kiss?

Katara blinked, the air catching in her lungs. Where were all these notions and glorified swoonings coming from? She was usually level-headed and more mature than this, and she recalled thinking of the wealthy girls from Ba Sing Se, huddled in a corner, gossiping and giggling. These thoughts were products of wanting to fit in with them, is all… But she had thought them superficial, and had been irritated with them when they had teased Toph. _Ugh…_ For now, she would just classify these treasonous thoughts as products of the Tainted Lady.

But treasonous for who?

"Katara?"

She peered up at Zuko from where she still lay. "Yeah?"

"Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't…" she caught herself, noting that she had dashed out of that daydream with a gasp. It had probably startled him. "Yeah, I'm fine. And you know what, Zuko?"

"What?" he asked, expecting a sarcastic remark from her.

"I feel like reading _Love Amongst the Dragons_ right now," she stated, and moved to retrieve the book from Zuko's shoulder bag in the far corner.

"Seriously?" He had honestly been expecting her to snap at him for unnecessarily checking up on her.

"Well, I meant what I said back at Rongyan Shui. Unlike you, Zuko, I keep to my word. And my word is that I haven't read this book in ages, so I want to read it to pass the time. You can join me if you want."

His eyebrow twitched. _Ah, there she is._ Snarky Katara was the one he enjoyed poking fun at. "Read away."

She resumed her place, resting her head on the saddle's rim, and cleared her throat. "Okay, here we go… umm, where did you leave off again?"

"I think… well, I know Shao's father got engaged to another woman. Don't tell me that I sound like a girl when I say that," he added.

She smiled deviously while flipping to the page. "I wasn't going to. Anyway, I'll just continue from there. I think I fell asleep for the rest of that part.

"'_Applause sounded throughout the crowd after Leng finally made his announcement, and in those seconds while the cheers surrounded her, Shao's world came crashing down. Her father had announced his engagement to the sister of her mother, Kei Rin. Shao was taught love and respect for her elders, but never for Kei Rin. The woman was cruel to her niece as were the elders who had witnessed the birth of the princess. In Kei Rin's eyes, Shao was a monster and a disgrace._

'_Shao pardoned herself and made haste to escape the eyes of the public as Kei Rin appeared and took her place on Chief Leng's left. Shao stormed away and sought refuge in the middle of an empty courtyard painted a lighter gold than the other structures within Mingxing-'_

"Zuko," Katara stopped reading, "what's Mingxing again?" She turned, to find that Zuko had rested his head on the saddle rim beside her.

"It's the Celestial City, where the Sun Warriors lived." He was staring absently above him.

"Oh." She licked her lips and looked down at the book again. "…Here I was.

"'_-than the other structures within Mingxing. Shao stood for a few minutes and took deep breaths to calm herself as Firebending training had shown her. The sound of shoes against stone caught her attention, and the princess turned around to watch Ran approaching her. He spoke to her politely of why she left so suddenly, and Shao responded that she was unhappy. Ran surprised Shao by asking her if it was because of her father's engagement, for it was rather sudden. She confirmed it. Ran took her hand in his as tears dripped from her eyes. He told her that he cared for her beyond the fact that she was royalty, and that it brought him sadness whenever she was sad. He noticed that she had been unhappy a lot, ever since her own engagement. Shao told him that that was true, and she thanked him for caring about her so. What she was forbidden to say aloud to him was that she cared for him too and therefore kept silent. Ran told her that although it was wrong of him to do so, he admitted that it had been difficult for him to watch her get engaged to his close friend. Fresh tears ran down the length of Shao's cheeks, and she clung to him in a tender embrace._

'_Unbeknownst to the young pair, Tiro had also departed from the feast and had started his own search for his princess. But Tiro had not come to know Shao as well as Ran had in such a short amount of time, and did not know that her place of refuge would be an empty courtyard inside the great city. Tiro spent the entire night searching for the young woman who he loved, until the feast was long over and everyone would have retired._

'_The following fortnight was the annual Festival of Four, a celebration dedicated to treasuring the existence of the four Celestial Beings; Tui and La, the Badger Mole, Kai, and the Sky Bison. It was during the fortnight before such a wondrous event that Ran and Shao would spend more time with one another. Their feelings of care had deepened and they valued one another. It was a nice departure from her confusing everyday life. _

'_Tiro was oblivious to the sadness in his princess. He did not know that she had become close to another and treated her politely yet distantly as he usually did. It was a requirement for Tiro to treat Princess Shao as such, for the Sun Warrior Tribe was a respectful group of Firebenders. Tiro was secretly unsure of Shao's special ability which allowed her use of the Cold Fire but adored her as best as he could. He saw his princess once again at the Festival of Four. As the stars shined, the fireworks flew and people laughed with joy, Tiro told Shao of his love for her._

'_And what she could not shake off easily was the dizzy feeling of being overwhelmed after hearing Tiro's words.'" _

Katara would have continued, if it were not for the sound of those words. She had definitely not heard them before, but they evoked in her a feeling of… kinship, maybe. She could not quite lay a finger on it. But those words stirred this unknown feeling inside of her; a terrible itch that kept moving around her body, and she could not sate it. Such simple words contained such brewing conflict – this made Katara wonder if simple words could ever be just simple words. There always seemed to be more and more meanings behind them and around them. Simple words, if intended to be simple, should not be infused with complications. The words in the book were so ordinary, commonplace – she had read more poetic and descriptive pieces than _Love Amongst the Dragons_. Even Sokka's literature was sophisticated – then again, he was very good with the pen; probably made up for his bad drawing skills… But that was beside the point. If Shao's life was complicated yet chronicled in these simple words, how would Katara's life be written?

She frowned as she set the book, fingers still holding the page, onto her lap. "Not easily," she murmured.

There was a long pause before Zuko spoke; he must have been in deep thought as well. "Katara, aren't you gonna finish-?" But he stopped when Katara's hand absently came up to the side of his face that was furthest from her, and placed her hand on his cheek.

"Shh," she said, closing her eyes as they fell into silence, heads resting close to one another on the saddle's rim, forgetting the whirl of white clouds surrounding them.

She felt his eye flicker closed beneath her touch. Moments later, her hand was still lightly caressing his cheek, fingers resting at the point where his smooth, pale skin met the tough red. She was reminded of the time when they were in the Crystal Catacombs, beneath Ba Sing Se. She had felt his pain, seen the blinding blast of fire, tasted the bitter anguish and betrayal… And though it might seem ridiculous to another, Katara swore that she would not let it happen to him again. She would remain by his side, no matter what hardships he had suffered, and might suffer… It was a strong, serious thing to promise, but she meant it. She meant it for her friends, and that included Zuko.

But his image in her head reminded her of something else. Reality was catching up to her, concerning the past few days, and now she knew that she would never be at ease if the incident remained unresolved. She opened her sky blue eyes and took in the sudden brightness as they broke out of the clouds and into rich sunshine, the light yellow tinting the sky to a dull blue. She swallowed, and began the words that had odd, foul tinges to them. "Zuko, I need to tell you something important."

"…Hmm? What is it?"

She felt his eye peak open. "About what happened a few days ago… I need to tell you how I feel about it and what I need you to understand." Ignoring how stiff he had become, she went on quietly, saying the words as calmly and carelessly as she could manage. She finally decided that this could not and would not happen, and she would make sure of it – whatever 'this' was. She convinced herself. "I want you to know that it meant absolutely nothing to me. It was just a mistake – I was upset, confused, stressed, and I was forward when I did that. I'm really sorry to have misled you if I did. It's nothing serious, though, and we both know that. I hope this doesn't ruin our… friendship… because it was just a mistake. Right?"

He sat up and, taking her aback, his following words were not cold or harsh. "Right," he said casually, as if she had just told him that breakfast was ready. "I understand – it was nothing more than a mistake."

Katara slowly sat up, too. She was a horrible liar. "Yeah." But she was also offended that he had not fulfilled her secret hopes of saying something in protest, and maybe angry at herself for offending him. _No!_ It was downright weird to have feelings for Zuko, and she did not have them. He was only playing with her mind after such a fragile occurrence. He would not goad her into regret by reacting with indifference. It only proved that he did not return Katara's non-existent feelings for him.

The familiar view of the island with the cliff was visible, now, and from such a distance Katara could see the tents that her friends and brother had probably left vacant; it was afternoon, and they would not have slept until such a late time. Zuko snapped the reins, and if it was even possible, Appa picked up his speed, zooming them to the docks of the island. Katara could make out a small contraption that looked like two blue fans tied together, gliding down to the wooden pier. _Gliding…_ Of course. That was Aang, having spotted them as well.

The landing Appa carried out was much smoother than his previous one, which had brought them crashing onto Rongyan Shui. Appa spiraled around to face another direction as he slowly touched down upon the sand in front of the pier. His tail gave off a light gust of air, and with that, Zuko and Katara's mission came to an end.

"Welcome back, guys." Aang was the only slight figure on the pier, airbending staff gripped in his hand. He had that friendly beam on his face, elated that his friends had returned, though he looked very tired.

Katara would have wondered why he was not energetic and bubbling that they had returned at last, but she could not bother at that moment. She herself must have looked tired, what with those enormous bags under her eyes… But she found herself returning that smile of his, pushing away the memory of her talk with Zuko to a far place in her mind – but like the incident had, it crouched there, _pulsing_. Her smile was genuine, though. She was overjoyed to be back in the company of her other friends. She swung her legs over the edge of the saddle and jumped down, bending her knees as she landed so as to make the impact less painful.

And she was running to Aang, nearly slipping on the deck, but pushing on anyway. She came to a stop in front of him, and wrapped her arms around his small frame in an embrace. His thin arms came around her torso to return the hug. "Aang… Oh, Aang, I missed you a lot…" She pulled away. "The others too. They're up there, aren't they?" she asked, trying to keep back tears of joy as she pointed to the high cliff. Was it just her, or had he grown a bit taller? And had he shed more baby fat in favour of developed muscles? It gave her warmth inside to see how much more he would change, and made her wonder about Sokka, Toph and Suki.

"I missed you guys too." Aang gave her a look that she could not read, and glanced past her as Zuko's weight joined theirs on the wood of the pier. "Zuko!" he acknowledged the other boy, yet he sounded rather dull.

Zuko came up to him, and after a slight pause on his part, gripped Aang's shoulders in an awkward-because-they-are-adolescent-boys hug, which ended when either patted the other's back for finality. "How are you, Aang?"

He stifled a yawn. "I'm okay – but you two need to train me. Seriously, I've gotten way better at earthbending, and that's scary." The boy shuddered. "They're up there and waiting, by the way," he added to Katara. "I don't know why they didn't come down, but Toph and Sokka are going at each other again." Then he raised his eyebrow, grey eyes curious as he looked from Katara, whose hand was at her chest as she gazed at him fondly, and to Zuko, whose arms were folded across his chest as he stared off into the sinking sun. "So… how did you two get along?"

The pair's expressions each popped. "I think we got along fine," said Katara.

"Much better than before," put in Zuko.

"Oh, that's good… And as for, uh, the man who… who killed your mother?" Aang tried to choose his words carefully. "Did you kill him? Or did you forgive him?" He could not hide how inquisitive he was.

Katara's face eased into a neutral look. "Neither. All I did was let go of my pain and let him know what it was and how I felt. He's alive, but I didn't forgive him – it's not possible for the wrong he did… I'm still glad that I did this. I think I needed to."

Aang looked relieved before another question tagged at his tongue. "Did you forgive anyone at all?"

Katara ignored that he was acting a bit strange – all these questions! But she answered, nevertheless. "Actually, I have…" She turned around to face Zuko, who had been surveying her out of the corner of his eyes. "I've forgiven you, Zuko." And without thinking through the action she was about to perform, she lifted her arms around his neck and moved against him in a tender embrace. The aching in her chest and the pulsing in her mind ceased as they held onto each other, his arms around her waist. His whole body was warm like the air on Rongyan Shui, not just his cheek, and he maintained the scent of fresh herbs and cold snow that seemed to cling to him. Katara was beginning to feel weak in the knees when she felt his arms at her waist slacken, knowing what it meant. Aang was probably watching them awkwardly too, so it was best to… let go.

As she left the two boys behind to talk, making in the direction of the hill's path, she realized that that was a goodbye. And it was not quite bitter, but not quite sweet either.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Katara does not know what she'll be missing. Sucks to be her. U.U But you, reader, are looking forward to chapters of… torturing Katara! Woo! Oh right, and this chapter shows the results from that uber-important question I asked you a couple chapters back. Wait… that means Zuko might be tortured too.**

**I would love to know your opinions on **_**Love Amongst the Dragons**_** (the story within this story). It's more like a fairytale children's story, which is why Ran and Shao are having it easy. And it's meant to be written ages ago, so no proper dialogue either. Yeah… just in case it looked stupid 'cause I didn't tell you that. ^.^ If you forgot: Shao is the princess with the unsavory power; Ran is Tiro's commoner best friend who loves Shao more than Tiro; Tiro is the guy who is being married to Shao because he is a noble, but loves her even though she doesn't think so; Chief Leng is Shao's oblivious father; Kei Rin is the big bad aunt-turned-stepmother; Kyra is the dead mother.  
And those characters are pretty much original – Ran and Shao's personalities are made-up, of course, but you know the disclaimer. NOT MINE, IT IS.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and hated Katara. (: Next Chapter: We reunite with the other awesome part of the gang, and Zuko returns to something of his past.**

**...Am I the only one who thinks Anakin Skywalker is delicious? Hurr, he can light my saber anytime. ;3 **


	13. A Soupy Situation

**A/N: Welcome to Chapter 13! I'm excited to be writing this – I've been missing the other part of the gang. Not really Aang. Nah, he just makes Zutara harder than it's already made out to be. Well, I still haven't gotten over Star Wars – been watching Revenge of the Sith too many times to count. Soon I will have watched it more than I've watched Phantom of the Opera, and that's a lot. :/  
*throws bonus points at you smarties who guessed Yoda* But it was kinda obvious, ne? It's not fair how some things are fictional – but I guess we'd be an Empire by now…  
It wouldn't be bad if Zuko wasn't fictional, though… :3**

…**Over 100 reviews? Seriously? Eeeeep! Excuse me while I have a major, squealing flip-out… But first, I must thank you all! For faves and alerts as well as reviews. I never thought a fic of mine would break 100 reviews. :DDDDD It's extremely encouraging, and in the last A/N of this chapter I will comment on some of the reviews. **

**Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the gang, but I am really glad that I do not own Aang. Rhyming ftw. …and I don't own those other movies, either. U.U **

* * *

**Chapter 13: A Soupy Situation**

* * *

If there was one thing Katara disliked – besides dishonesty – it was indecision.

The waterbender was walking uphill, having just left the sandy shore, and had an annoyed scowl on her face. She felt like unleashing a bucketful of curses – it would be so satisfying, yet not in her nature. Katara did not favour things that were not in her nature. Ah, which brings her back to that…

"Damn him!" she seethed, throwing her arms towards the heavens.

She would have continued, had it not been for the whirring sound mixed in with the wind… It could easily be recognized as the purring of a certain winged-lemur called Momo. The adorable creature swooped down towards a now-grinning Katara, eyes wide and forest green as always. "Momo," breathed Katara – it had been such a long time since she last saw him that she had almost forgotten him. At the last moment, when she thought Momo was going to smack into her face, he swooped upwards again, tail barely brushing Katara's outstretched arms. The winged-lemur lingered ahead of her, flying in round arcs, beckoning her to follow.

And she did, abandoning her building annoyance, chasing up the slanted land after the elated animal. It felt good, sprinting on the warm gravel of the path, drawing closer and closer to her brother and friends. She gulped the crisp air, feeling how her blood pumped through her body. The skirt of her tunic flew behind her due to the slits down the sides, leaving the material of her leggings to endure the wind. Katara could not help a breathless laugh; she was given a sense of freedom, reminding her of the joyful times. Momo occasionally keeled around to circle her head like spinning stars, before flapping his wings and speeding ahead once again. At last, the breath left her lungs in a final rush as she reached the top of the hill, stumbling to a halt.

Momo spiraled down and perched on her shoulder. Katara wet her lips and stroked his fuzzy cheek. "Hi, Momo." The creature nuzzled her head and she giggled. "Let's go see the others." The lemur gave an answering chirp as she began the walk across the stretch of green grass, headed for the patch of tents near the large boulders, approaching silently although she was panting.

Sokka and Suki were sharing a spot before an ashy heap – presumably the fireplace – and his arm was slung over her shoulder. Toph was lying on the blotchy ground opposite them, lazily waving her arms in the air above her as she spoke. What she said seemed to make Sokka frown, but not in the usual good-humored way.

"Yes, I'm fine, Sokka. Just quit bothering me." Toph's arm collapsed so her hand hit her forehead.

"Give it a rest, you two," snapped Suki. "Looks like we have a guest." At that, Toph shot up, palms planting into the ground, and Sokka's mouth stretched into a wide, nonchalant smile.

"Hey, guys," greeted Katara, not having anything better to say, for the joy would overpower her if she said something extravagant.

As if they had been holding their breath for the passing of a groundbreaking instance, Suki got up a moment later and scurried forward, squeezing Katara with a death-grip of a hug. Katara returned it, embracing Suki as she would her own family. It was pleasant and familiar and conveyed just how much the two girls missed one another. Pulling away after a good few moments, arms remaining on her shoulders, the Kyoshi Warrior said to Katara: "It's so good to see you again. Things just haven't been the same, and it doesn't help that you were gone so long…"

"I know." Katara's bright smile faltered as she caught onto Suki's last few words. "But how long was I gone for, exactly?"

Toph was on her feet, sauntering over to the older girls as if Katara had not left at all. "Way to keep track of time, Sugar Stick."

Katara moved out of Suki's hold with a frown and moved closer to Toph, towering over her. She was acting with her usual indifference, but there was something peculiar about her… "What do you mean?" Katara could not keep the concern out of her voice, secretly pressing Toph for clues as to what brought on this mood.

"She means," drawled Sokka from his seat on the floor, "that you were gone for about three weeks and a couple days – heck, almost a month."

"_What?_" exclaimed Katara.

"Stop fussing!" Sokka got up with a sigh and went over to her. "You're here, aren't you? Sheesh, you haven't changed one bit since we last saw you."

Katara rolled her eyes and flung herself at her brother, throwing her arms around him, earning a yelp of surprise from him. "I've missed your sarcasm."

"Yeah," he said with a lazy smile, returning the hug.

Even after the embrace had ended, Katara felt security and safety with her brother. They were raised like that. He could be the meat-loving, irresponsible imbecile at times, but he had a good heart – the heart of a leader. She had missed these wonderful people so much, unable to believe that it was such a long time since their parting. Sokka, Hakoda and Gran-Gran were the last of her blood relatives, and since only Sokka had been with her on this entire life-changing journey, she had come to value him even more than before. There was a recognizable pressure behind her eyes, but it was not of sadness. She felt contentment and relief, even, that she could see Sokka and her friends again. She loved them with all her heart.

"So, you're wearing the outfit I picked out, huh?" Suki ran her deep blue eyes over Katara's clothing.

"Hm? Oh, right…" Katara glanced down and remembered the sleeveless and backless halter-neck tunic, her extended sarashi, the leggings that melted onto her skin so well, the muslin pumps that were comfortable. Suki had chosen the tunic, though. "My old tunic ripped, so I had to wear this most of the time."

There was silence. "…Ripped?" said Sokka, eyes wide with rage. "If Zuko tried anything, I swear, I'll-"

"No, no! He didn't do anything!"

"Besides, Sokka," said Toph, "it's not like you'd be able to stick up to Zuko. He'd fry your pathetic, scrawny little-"

"Toph…" muttered Suki distractedly, looking off to the side.

"What? I'm only telling the truth."

Sokka's brow furrowed in confusion. "Toph-" he began.

"Shut _up_, Sokka." Toph jerked her palm in his direction as if she were about to slap his face. "I didn't ask for your opinion." Then without another word, she turned around and stomped away. Katara tried to grab her sleeve as she went past, only to have her hand shaken off. There was no way either of the remaining three would find Toph now; this was made clear when she leaped into the air and sank into the ground as though it was water.

Katara stared at the place where she had disappeared before turning back to the other two, her look matching Sokka's confused frown from before. _We probably look more related…_ Suki's eyes were closed tightly, like one might as if trying to concentrate on something against background noise, and she still faced off to the side. Sokka blinked a few times and looked down, before turning around and moving across the tiny ashy fireplace, and into his tent.

"I'm sorry," Suki whispered, and followed Sokka.

And this was Katara, alone and bewildered, standing in the middle of a campsite that had once been so cheerful and alive with camaraderie. Things had definitely taken an unexpected turn in her absence, but it was not a good turn. There was a strange hostility about the other members of Team Avatar that she was not being told about. This would have bothered her, had it not been for her motherly desire to make things better by an average deed that might seem unnecessary. It was no trouble, really, as she had not been expecting royal treatment for returning from a long trip that had seemed only salutary for herself.

Yes, Katara was going to make things better by preparing dinner.

* * *

Night was beginning to fall and no one had returned to the campsite, leaving Katara companionless. Toph must have been underground, sulking in misery that Katara had yet to learn the cause for. The ill-feeling was clearly directed at Sokka, and it was implied that Suki did not want to be involved too greatly. They were still inside Sokka's tent, and Katara could frequently hear the low murmur of voices as they conversed. The mystery of Aang and Zuko's whereabouts was solved when the sky darkened; bursts of orange from the shore below were enhanced by the night's darkness. As Katara bent down to check the wood beneath the old pot, she thought about Aang's tired eyes… He ought to have gotten some rest before diving right back into training. Her hand clasped around the handle of the big spoon and she began to stir the five-flavour soup in the pot. She would not interfere with them needlessly, as she tended to stir the pot in more ways than just as she was now.

The cool breeze was like a splash on her skin, which had become hot from the rising steam of the soup. Katara knelt back, then, wishing she had at least some company. She had never felt this way when she was away on the mission – Zuko had given her a sense of… not being alone. Her eyes widened as she stared up at the sky, another realization dawning on her. He had been there when she was at her weakest, when she was most unreasonable, when she had confronted the killer of her mother, when she had not wanted him to but needed him to be. _Just like I promised earlier on to remain by his side…_ It was strange that this only occurred to her now – after she had tried to erase the indecision by resolving the incident with an undesirable result.

Oh, but there was no going back. She had made that very clear, hadn't she? Yet still something was not adding up inside of her…

Her thoughts were cut off by the laughter of a notable young boy. Glancing up from her position beside the pot, she watched as Aang and Zuko walked leisurely towards the campsite, tired after their long training session. She had no smile to greet them with as they entered the circle of tents; her eyes fell to her lap and she continued to stir the soup.

"Hey, Katara, where's Toph?" asked Aang after looking around.

For the first time, Katara noticed that Appa was asleep behind Sokka's tent, next to Toph's abandoned earthen one. "She's… uh…"

"She's not here," answered Sokka, emerging from his tent with Suki in tow.

Without further debate, they all took their places around the fire; Sokka sat in front of his tent but closer to the fire this time, Suki on his right, Aang after her, and Zuko at the end of the semi-circle. A bigger space was next to Zuko, as Toph had not reappeared like Suki and Sokka had, and Katara would usually sit on Sokka's unoccupied side. Katara straightened up silently, feeling unusually alien as she stood by herself; they remained quiet. It had become apparent that they were hiding something from her – did Zuko know, too?

"Get your bowls ready," said Katara. "It's five-flavour soup." There was a shuffling as they followed her command, taking their bowls and spoons from the small piles she had put out in the vacant spot where Toph would have sat.

It turned out to be Suki who was brave enough to speak. "We're really sorry, Katara. Sokka and I weren't avoiding you or anything, but we knew you'd properly start dinner once everyone – _almost_ everyone – was here. We're, uh, actually thinking about something important." A blush lit Suki's cheeks and she clasped her bowl tightly, smiling sheepishly when Sokka nudged her.

"Don't worry about it." In truth, the thought had not crossed Katara's mind. She was not feeling left out because they had snuck off into the tent by themselves, but rather because whatever was happening between Sokka and Toph remained unknown to her. "I was busy cooking, anyway – I haven't for a big group in such a long time…" She began to stream the liquid out of the pot in a suitable quantity for the bowls. "Anything new happen while we were gone?" Ah, she may not have been stirring the pot, but she absolutely had to scrounge for information.

The soup landed in Suki's bowl. "Not really…"

Katara forced herself not to grumble at being denied and went on to stream out Sokka's soup. "Not even a haircut?" she joked, looping the hot substance before letting it patter into his bowl.

"I got the urge, but no dice," said Sokka, looking disappointed. "What I wanna hear about is the mission."

"Yeah, tell us about that," Suki backed him up.

Katara trailed out the next portion, and through a semi-transparent curtain of intermingled juices and spices, her eyes met with Zuko's. Before she could lose herself and pull out all of the liquid in the pot, she stopped and recalled their agreement from a few hours ago. _Things are meant to be normal…_ She blinked and broke out into a wide smile, seeing not the slightest bit of surprise on his face at the action. "It was interesting." She twirled the water this way and that, appearing transfixed with her bending; messing around with waterbending was entertaining. She brought the water lower, spinning the puddle into a spiral. It was confusing as to which bowl the soup would land in – Aang's, or Zuko's. Katara did not notice that the younger boy was very keen on it landing in his own bowl, and so the soup twisted into Zuko's, making plopping noises as it came into contact with the wood. Aang's expression had a flat hint to it when Katara simply streamed the soup into his after that, no special waterbending moves turning it into a special performance.

Oblivious, Katara picked up her bowl and spoon and got a portion of the soup for herself. She found that she was hungry after the amount of time that had elapsed. Sokka made a rude slurping noise as he gulped down his soup, unabashed. "That's it? _Interesting_? Come on, give me some more."

Katara sipped her soup. "What do you want to know?"

"Where was this place? Oh, and I meant it when I said give me some more." Sokka waved his empty bowl up and down.

"I'm busy. Do it yourself." She closed her eyes and lifted her nose in another direction.

Sokka pulled a face and got up to refill his bowl, mumbling something about no meat, and took the opportunity to move the pot off to the side. "So we can see each other better," he explained as he sat down. "Go on."

"It was in the Fire Nation – an island called Rongyan Shui."

"Sounds like a nice place. Did you like it?" piped up Aang.

"It was kind of wild and undeveloped," responded Zuko. "We camped in the forest for most of the time. I think this setting is way better."

"Me too," agreed Katara. "And the Teisuu was really annoying."

Zuko nodded and drank some soup thoughtfully. "Mmm."

Aang glanced between them when the conversation was not picked up, and there was a slight pause. "What's Teisuu supposed to be?"

"Wait, Zuko," Katara held a hand up, "I've got this."

"Proceed," he said with smug boredom.

"I will, thank you very much." She sniffed and looked away. "Teisuu is a phenomenon that happens on the far western islands. It's when the sun is really strong and bright and takes long to set. It should dim down just a little bit for nighttime, but our Teisuu on Rongyan Shui was so much stronger that everyday was sunny. It made the days seem almost…"

"Golden," Zuko finished for her when she trailed off.

"Yeah." Katara's eyes shifted to him, her face suddenly feeling very warm, and not because of the soup she had just consumed. A blush threatened to creep to the surface, but so did the indecision, ordering her to avert her gaze to the bowl in her lap.

"You forgot to mention that it happens only in summer," he said snidely.

A laugh burst from her throat. "You love proving me wrong, don't you?"

"Only because you love proving yourself right." He smirked as he consumed the remaining soup in his bowl.

She narrowed her eyes before rolling them at the good-natured teasing, having nothing to retort with. Sighing, she stood and went around the fire to Zuko and Aang. She took the former's bowl, and paused to ask the latter a question. "Do you want me to get you more soup, Aang?"

He was clutching his spoon tightly, staring directly ahead and sitting stiffly. This did not change when he answered. "No thanks," he muttered between clenched teeth.

"Okay, then." Katara, concluding this as a result of his obvious lack of sleep, took his bowl from him and went over to Sokka and Suki, who had stopped participating in the brief conversation about the mission in favour of whispering and delighted surveying. "What's going on?" she asked as she bent to take their bowls from the space on the ground next to them.

"Oh, yeah, did Aang tell you two?" questioned Suki, looking up.

"About…" Zuko pressed her on.

"We think that we should to move to another site, 'cause we've been here for long and the risk gets higher of us being found out." Sokka leaned forward as if he were preparing to negotiate or disclose a master plan. "We were waiting for you guys to get back so we could move, but we don't know where to exactly… So, got any ideas?"

"Wherever we choose, that'll be our last stop before…" Katara swallowed. "…before the Comet arrives." And again, she had nearly forgotten the much-anticipated event. Behind Suki's sitting form, Katara shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I think so," Aang put in his opinion. "If we keep moving, I won't be completely focused on my training. And I'm definitely going to need my training for what's coming…" He shared a look with Zuko.

The firebender then faced Sokka. "So we need to go somewhere unexpected, a place no one would ever even consider…" He stroked his chin absently.

"The Southern Air Temple?" suggested Aang. "My focus would be really good there."

"Maybe we shouldn't pick anywhere too far…" said Suki, eyes narrowing as she concentrated.

"Yeah. Sorry, Aang, but maybe the Southern Air Temple's a bit inconvenient." Sokka gave him an apologetic look before sinking into a focused one again.

"And the Fire Nation has already invaded it once before," said Katara, surprised at what little places she could think of. The Water Tribe was definitely out of the question, too. "Ugh, there has to be _some_ place."

"I've got it." Zuko snapped his fingers after having been the only one who was completely silent during the brainstorming session. "There's a place in the Fire Nation – you must've heard of it before… Ember Island."

"It rings a bell," said Aang quietly.

"It should because it's famous, but not for military; it's more of a resort. My father owned a beach house where our family would go for the summer when I was a child, but we don't use it anymore for obvious reasons… It's the perfect hideout, because it's the last place we'd want to go. The last time Azula saw me there, I made it clear I didn't want to go back. It's the best place I can think of."

"I think it sounds fine…" Katara shrugged. "But isn't it the Fire Lord's _house_?"

"Not anymore," said Zuko.

"You're sure it's safe?" asked Sokka.

"Yeah – the worst we could be attacked by is a bunch of seagulls." Zuko was confident.

"Seagulls are pure evil."

"Why? Are they still enemy birds?" Katara smirked.

"_Toucan-puffins_ are enemy birds, but seagulls are evil…" Sokka gripped his girlfriend's hand. "How does it sound?"

"It sounds like you have something against birds…" Suki cleared her throat. "The place sounds good to me. Plus, I'm curious about Azula's childhood – if she even had one."

"Aang?"

The young Avatar was staring sullenly at the pot in the centre. "Mmm."

"I'll take that as a yes." Sokka looked back to Zuko. "All right, it's settled – tomorrow, we're heading out for Ember Island."

* * *

Late the same night, Katara thought that she was the only one awake. There was no noise coming from the others, who had each retired to their respective tents for the night. As far as she knew, Toph had not returned, but Katara had confidence that Toph was all right. The young earthbender was, indeed, young. But she was sensible enough, and would not have separated permanently from the group for any old reason. Besides, her bag was still here. Hopefully she needed things that were in it and would have to come back, which was why Katara removed a single item from it earlier on after dinner.

The waterbender stood leaning against the pole of the entrance to her tent, gazing up at the star-dotted sky, arms folded over her chest. Surprisingly, she had quite enjoyed her exchange with Zuko at dinner – it reminded her so very much of when she would simply pick on him in a teasing yet semi-friendly way. She took joy out of it, hearing his retorts which she could not get around; it ignited a competition of sorts, and a kinship too. There were those times when they could have normal, in depth, serious conversations… But the dinnertime one was not, and it erased her feelings of indecision for the time being. It was a path back to normalcy, a routine relationship. _Speaking of which…_

The more she gathered her thoughts now, the more the indecision grew.

He was frighteningly indifferent, almost as if it had never happened. She had pretty much told him to act in such a way, but was it really that easy to forget it? Katara… found that she could not. It was something that she wanted to put behind her, though the more he acted oblivious, an annoying tingle in her mind kept trying to prove him wrong and unmask this front. But he was convincing, to the point where she believed that he did not care. It was nothing but a minor speck on his existence, one that she herself had wiped clean. And she was offended, irritated, _hurt_.

"Why is he hard to forget, but I'm not?" she hissed aloud.

"Who?"

Katara started, nearly losing her balance against the pole with a hand flying to her chest. She could make out a stout figure in the darkness. "Toph?" she whispered. "What're you doing here so late? Where were you?"

A flash of white as the girl grinned cheekily. "Why am I not surprised that you cared? Why are you asking all those questions?"

Katara pursed her lips and leaned on the pole again. "Touché. Are you all right?"

"I don't know." Suddenly Toph sounded very distressed, uncertain. It was uncharacteristic, but Katara knew that it was ironic of her to judge. "I… I need to talk to you."

"Tell me whatever you want."

"If I tell you, will you tell me too?"

The waterbender's eyes widened fractionally, and she wondered if Toph could sense the minor action with earthbending. _Was it that obvious? _"W-What do you mean?"

"Ya don't think I don't know? I can feel it in the way you move, even the way you're standing right now. What happened on the mission, Katara?" Toph drew closer. "Why is Zuko unusually chilled? Why are you so tense?"

"He's _chilled_?"

"It feels weird, which makes me doubt whether it's real. But I can't tell with him – I won't be able to march up to him and ask him. He'll just hide it. That's what Zuko does – closes everything off."

Was that hope ringing in her mind? "Toph, how do you know so much about him? Have you guys… I dunno… sat down and had a heart-to-heart? You seem to have this understanding or something of each other."

"Nah. There's just more to my lie-detecting thing, and I'm more observant than you think." There was a silence in which Toph fidgeted with her feet. "Change of plan. We can't talk now-"

"Why?" Katara tried to reach for her, but her hand was pushed away.

"Not now. Fangirl's awake. Just…" Toph paused, and after a breath, went on hurriedly. "Suki and Sokka are engaged. But shut up – we'll talk later, _alone_." And with that, she darted off behind the tents to avoid running into Suki.

Katara was left stunned, mouth agape. She barely had time to blink and recover when a silhouette that was Suki shuffled out of the tent adjacent to hers, feet dragging over the ground and a lumpy blanket over her shoulders. Katara noted how tough and bulky Suki was shaped, likening it to when she was in her Kyoshi uniform. She was much smaller in frame without it. "Hey, Katara," she said lazily. "Were you talking?"

"No, no, just… thinking." Katara had picked up on the need for secrecy in Toph's words. "Thinking… vigorously." She laughed uneasily. For one, she was an appalling liar, and two, she felt guilty to lie to someone close to her, even if it was for another that was just as close.

"Oh…" A yawn. "Okay."

"So, uh, Suki, is Aang all right? He looks really tired." It was true; Katara wanted to know about his wellbeing.

Suki swallowed as she tried to be more alert. "Yeah, he'll be fine now that you guys are back. He would stay up late and wake up early, waiting for you to come. Sometimes we don't think he slept at all, and sometimes we'd find him almost passed out on the pier. Toph would get frustrated with him during training and stuff, because we were more confident than him."

"Oh." The pang of guilt was enormous. _Aang…_

Suki placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't stress, though – he was only worried. He's gonna have a better sleep tonight, and I'm sure he won't blame you. He's Aang, after all." Suki then drew back her hand to stifle a yawn. "…Maybe you should get some rest, too. Tomorrow we're travelling…"

"I will." Katara smiled at her, though she could not see it. "Good night, Suki." She could barely see the warrior nod, and heard her feet scratching across the grass as she went back to her tent.

Katara decided that she would take heed to Suki's advice, but first she would check on Aang to feel less guilty. She could clearly remember what the boy had said before she left, and hoped that his behaviour was not about that. With regards to Zuko… Well, she decided that he played best with fire, so she would just have to do the same.

She would fight fire with fire. It helped to make this decision, for if there was one thing Katara disliked – besides dishonesty – it was indecision.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I hope you enjoyed this reunion with Team Avatar. :) Next chapter: We see what is brewing in Toph's mind. And I lied last chapter – Zuko **_**remembers**_** something from his past, but only **_**revisits**_** it in Chapter 14. Oh my goodness, we're that far in? Ever get those things where you realize something really late? I just had that! We're practically halfway through! *o* (There are twenty-five chapters to this story.)**

**To respond (sort of) to some of your reviews****:**

_**Igotdibsonallyo'guys**_**: Why, is that you, Chrica-chan? Long time, no see! I did… And there was no space in me bag, ya see. Sorry.**

_**ScarletWaterBender**_**: I'm not helping, huh? :P Things will be looking up, I hope. Out of cookies I am, but chapters I am not. **

_**AnnaAza**_**: *evil, secretive cackle* Quite soon, quite soon. Katara has to snap eventually.**

_**hkdk**_**: Agreed – in some places he looks too chubby. His scar is badass, though. I have a thing for the villains and the badass dudes (Zuko, duh). :3 And I **_**love**_** long reviews! It's so interesting to read them, so don't worry about limiting yourself. :) Oh, I've heard of that movie! …but I didn't watch it. ^.^**

_**firelily1228**_**: Congrats on being the 100****th**** reviewer! But I hope you don't think that this story is over… The mission is, but we've still got a long way to go. ;) **

_**Aaliyah92**_**: Ah, yes, you're meant to feel like that. XD I sometimes have a sadistic twist along the way, but I love happy endings… I'm not sure if I mentioned it in this chapter, but Katara had been, to put it simply, acknowledging the possibility that there might truly be no more between them, though she was trying to be **_**decisive**_** (hehe) and was probably forcing the issue. Maybe. It's third-person subjective POV often using Katara, and we all know how she is… **

_**SRW3**_**: I prefer reading the slow-developing romances too. :D I just can't write – or read – about ones where they are in love "from the first time they met" and only "discover" it later. **

**Alrighty! Onwards to write Chapter 14! And for those of you who read my oneshot **_**Gilacorns on Heat**_**, I hope the five-flavour soup part made you smile… Thanks for reading. :)**


	14. Home is Where the Heat is

**A/N: Mwahaha, school holidays. :D That may mean more writing, but it seems that I am busy… So, I was going to have this chapter done last Friday, read over/procrastinate on Saturday, and update on Sunday. Nice plan, huh? But I didn't do that because… I WENT TO WATCH **_**THE SCRIPT**_**! Live in concert! Oh gosh, it was fantastic! *o* I've still got the songs stuck in my head. And Danny O'Donoghue is just amazing; in terms of singing, stage personality, and looks. ;) **

**Ahem, anyway, that nice plan for this chapter was postponed, even though I wanted the chapter to be up earlier… Thank you for bearing with me! I hope you enjoy Katara's stinging feelings of rejection. U_U Or could it be Zuko's?**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is not owned by me. This plot is not stolen from anywhere (in case that's valid to a Disclaimer) but my Script-loving mind. **

* * *

**Chapter 14: Home is Where the Heat is**

* * *

On the way to Ember Island was when Katara noticed that Zuko's behaviour was quite unusual. She had concluded a few things from breakfast, casual observations, and right this moment on Appa's saddle: for one, he only acknowledged her presence if she spoke or was mentioned by someone else; two, he only spoke to her when she spoke to him; and three… squirming sealguanas, what was his problem? Weren't they past this? Because _she_ was done with feeling awful for something she should not feel awful for – like this. She had increased the defenses, brainwashed herself with warped reasoning, and was making it fine after twenty-four hours had passed. Fighting indifferent, nonchalant fire with indifferent, nonchalant fire – that was her aim as of yesterday. It was a good decision, she thought. But now he was pretty much ignoring her, and that had potential to douse her indifferent, nonchalant fire – because she could not ignore him. If only it was easier to accept and move along… Heck, _it_ was not even a proper kiss!

"It's a good day for flying," Aang said matter-of-factly from his perch on Appa's head. "The clouds are perfect. No one will see us like this."

"I can't see you anyway," remarked Toph, sprawled on her back in the centre of the saddle.

Katara laughed. It felt good to laugh, to feel the summer breeze against her cheeks, to pretend that the brooding firebender sitting diagonally from her was not bothering her in the slightest. "I'm glad that you're feeling better, Aang."

Aang flinched. "Me too…"

At least she knew that if he turned around, there would be no hazy eyes and puffy dark rings. Everything would have been downright dandy if Toph were still speaking to Sokka, and if Zuko would chill out. That was all he needed to do, though she supposed it would be hard, considering he could manipulate fire. Chilling out did not come naturally to firebenders. Perhaps she should start another attempt to coax him out of this dreary phase…

"Are we getting closer to Ember Island?" she asked Aang.

"Yup." He pointed downwards at the mound of land before them; tiny dots the size of ants were scurrying around a broad, sandy beach – some in the water – and most of the island was covered in hills of varying size, the houses built against them or even on top of them. "I have no clue which beach house it is, though… Zuko?"

"Only one at the tip of the other end of the island – Ozai had it built for privacy. Even now, I bet no one goes there."

Katara turned upon hearing his voice. "Ha, _other end of the island_? Remember?" She smiled affectedly, trying to pierce his shield, but all she got was the momentary quirk of the mouth as he smiled… somewhat.

Toph yawned and stretched. "You sure your sister didn't plan it that way? Y'know, to be isolated?"

Zuko snorted and smirked at the earthbender in front of him. "Well, we _have_ got a beach to ourselves… How's your sandbending coming?"

"Are you hinting something at me?" Toph, still lying down, folded her arms. It went unnoticed that Katara had rolled her eyes and propped her elbow on the saddle's rim, sulking.

"Depends on how you take it." Zuko spread his arms across the rim of the saddle and leaned his head back, letting the breeze pick up his thin black hair. Twisting his neck to just catch a glimpse of the area below Appa, he frowned. "Aang, you might wanna fly _around_ the island, not straight over it."

The younger boy's posture suddenly stiffened, jerked from a fantasy nobody had gathered he was in. "Yeah, sorry. I wasn't paying much attention," he said as he gave a hard pull on the reins, steering Appa to the right.

Suki, who was seated next to a sleeping Sokka, had been peering down at the people on the beach as if they were ants creeping up to steal from her picnic basket. She spoke then, to Zuko. "D'you know what's bothering him?" she whispered.

He shrugged and replied in an even quieter voice. "It could be the Comet. I've been wondering about it too."

At the front of the saddle, Katara's straining ears finally picked up a clue to Zuko's behaviour. _It's only stress because of the Comet!_ A very light, hopefully subtle smile played at her lips; it was also quite smug, for she considered this something of a victory. Zuko could not, and _would _not, try to leave her out of the loop. She had hoped her experience with him would at least allow her to be able to decipher him later – but after things had been resolved, she was finding it a challenge. Now she was taking this little discovery as proof that she could not be kept from anything, especially things related to him. It was… a relief?

"Hey, Katara, could you give us some cover?" Aang asked without turning.

"Hm?" Katara sat up, removing her elbow from the saddle and dissolving her smile. "Using clouds?" She glanced around, noticing that the direction they were going in was clearer.

"Yup. We're going lower. Need some help?"

"Don't worry – I'll be all right." Katara shakily stood, trying not to lose her balance. Aang had started to fly more steadily, allowing her to easily move into a waterbending stance; there was a small space between her right leg and left leg, as the former was directly behind to strengthen the stance. After lifting her right arm, she brought it swooping down to meet with her outstretched left arm; the white clouds above followed the movement and flew down beneath Appa, forming a curve. Since there were no clouds to her left, she slowly moved her left arm across her right, forming an 'x' shape. Fast as a scorpion bee, she swiped her left arm back to the left, forcing clouds to rush over the occupants of the saddle. Muttering an apology, Katara ordered the clouds to finish the arc by joining onto the end of the bottom curve and going up and around to meet the other end of it. She ignored the fact that Zuko's eyes were on her, ignored that the air had become disturbed and was surging over them all. She made a spinning motion with her arms after lifting them upwards and outwards, and now the cocoon that would disguise Team Avatar was complete. She stopped making the spinning motion after a while, fingers spread out at the level of her hips. If the speed of the spinning clouds died down, she would have to speed it up again, but for now she just had to hold the spherical shape.

"So, you _can_ cloudbend on your own…" Zuko said quietly, unconsciously staring, almost as if he had not meant to say it at all.

She did not know her chest was heaving until then. "Yes," she replied breathlessly.

He chuckled. "I guess I shouldn't doubt your abilities again."

She gave a smirk and broke the gaze. "I hope that means I can doubt yours."

"You didn't seem to doubt them when I saved you from being fried by lava."

"That was lucky." She rolled her eyes. "Don't forget that I saved you from drowning in the pond."

"Actually, you stopped me from hitting the ice."

"Oh, yeah…"

"And then I pulled you in and saved you again," he said flippantly.

"Whoa, wait!" interrupted Suki before Katara could reply. "You almost got fried by lava?" She stared at Katara in disbelief.

Toph's arm struck out, pointing… nowhere in particular. "And you nearly die by ice?" Suki, still with the disbelief, reached out and readjusted Toph's arm so that it pointed directly at Zuko. "Thank you, Fangirl," murmured Toph.

"No problem."

Katara refrained from cocking her head at them – Toph was not upset with Suki? It was obvious she was upset about the engagement, or at least _something _to do with that. "Yes," she answered their questions.

"Seriously?" Suki and Toph spoke in unison.

"Yeah. I saved her when she decided to experiment with lava," said Zuko.

"I'm so glad you used the right term for that, Zuko." Ah, she never forgot to include that cutting tone whenever she said his name. "But I saved him from hitting the ice after…"

"After Hawky made off with your mother's necklace," finished Zuko.

Katara placed a lingering look on him; it did not have much of an expression to it, but was soon smothered by a wide grin. Her voice returned to her, and she let out a hysterical laugh. "You said Hawky's name!"

He raised his eyebrow. "Wha-"

"You said you'd never say that name out loud!" she managed between giggles.

Zuko balled his fist and gave it a shake of mock rage. "Shoot," he hissed. When he looked up, he saw Suki and Toph's gazes coolly slide off in other directions. He narrowed his eyes slightly; it was made evident that they had been watching his and Katara's exchange with growing interest. He looked back at Katara, who was licking her lips and fidgeting as she tried to stop laughing, her cheeks wiped with a faint red due to the embarrassment of having laughed that long. He still enjoyed it when Katara laughed, still enjoyed that little smile whenever she was pleased – but he had not seen it in a long time. He was doing his utter best to stay away from her, to act as if he felt nothing for her, to convince himself that he was not worthy of her. She kept on trying to interact with him – perhaps she was pitying him, or perhaps she was having second thoughts about the aftermath of the mission… like the second thoughts that filled his mind ever since she had rejected him. There was a part of him that did not believe her, that wanted to pull her aside once they landed and refuse to let things continue like this. His fingers clenched the rim of the saddle as he watched her speaking to Suki and Toph, stifling the urge to bring it up right now and right here. It gave him a hollow feeling in his chest when he successfully submerged those thoughts and feelings in the recesses of his mind. And now, this was the part of him that acted as if things were fairly simple between them – that the bonds they had forged had never been forged at all.

Katara's eyes locked onto his after she noticed how silent he had gone. She hoped he was not falling back into that odd behaviour – but her hopes were let down when he looked away, expressionless. Well, if that was how he wanted things, then fine! She would not stop trying to converse, because that was what they would do if they were as normal as she had plotted. Fighting fire with fire, killing with kindness… "Cabbage slugs," she muttered absently.

He immediately turned back to look at her, surprising her. "Not that again."

However, before she could reply, there was a small _whoosh_ of air and Aang grumbled. He was looking between Katara and Zuko almost accusingly. "Would you guys please stop fooling around? There's a hole in the cover, Katara."

The hole was directly above Aang, in a perfect circle through the cloud. Katara frowned. Funny, she did not remember releasing her hold and focus on the cloud, no matter how much she had been laughing. That rush of air… Had Aang just done that on purpose? But that was absurd; there was no reason she could think of for him to do that. Shaking her head and dismissing it as an accident, she lifted her arms again. "Sorry, Aang. I'll fix it."

* * *

Fire Lord Ozai's beach house looked like something out of a painting, a place that could easily be used as the idyllic backdrop for an average family's portrait.

Of course, Zuko had been right – the gigantic house was built in the shade of a large, pointed mass of rock that towered over it, shielding any prying eyes from view. The rock could have been cut to specifically fit the house in front of it. Around the house were more heaps of heavy grey rocks, even on the long grass embracing the zigzagging dirt path that stretched down to the private beach. The other end of the path met with a small flight of stairs, which led up to the porch of the once-happy summer home.

The roofs were in a typical Fire Nation style; red pagodas that had faded over time, but the golden lining on them could have been brand new. The walls were a clean white with many windows and darker masonry, forming the wider front part of the house and the only slightly narrower part on the left side, which was joined to the towering rock by a square turret. Another turret like that stuck out all the way on the right side of the house, but unlike the left side's, it clashed with a thick throng of trees; the opening of the forest accessible with stairs and a gate. But these things – the forest, the rock, and the structure of the main house – all made up the frame of a spacious limestone courtyard. At the core of this courtyard was a fountain without water, but the aerial view the group was being given did not allow its shape to be discerned.

The rocky brown sand out on the beach looked as though it was untouched by life but beaten by weather until Appa's smooth landing; the best landing out of his most recent, actually. Leaving the flying bison to wriggle his big toes in the sand, the group trudged along the path and up the stairs. The others stood back as Zuko roughly shoved open the heavy double doors. Inside, he waited patiently as his friends stared questioningly at what they could see of the shadowy entrance hall; the chairs, shelves and sculptures, paintings and mirrors were all covered with white sheets, save for the sconces and a single cabinet at the end of the room. A shiver went down Katara's spine. Toph cleared her throat and successfully broke the eerie silence, impatiently instigating a race to each claim a bedroom.

It was a scramble, mainly of relief to escape the gloomy entrance hall. Katara was pretty sure that she would end up with the worst room due to how slow she was, and that she would get lost… _Do they already know their way around? Am I forgetting something?_ She was probably on the other end of the house by now, having wondered aimlessly through the maze of interconnecting corridors that made up the top level – where the sleeping quarters were – of all _two_ sides of the big house.

She huffed in frustration as she stomped past a balcony that looked out onto the private beach, and around a corner, moose-lion skin bag in her murderous grip after having fallen many times. She found that this entire space was short and unoccupied; through a window she could see that this was the turret beside the forest, and by the oversized Fire insignia on the bedroom door, she concluded that it was the Fire Lord's old bedroom. Katara backed away and went along the corridor she had come from. She stepped through the archway that was diagonally opposite the balcony, and was hit with a realization. This house was made up of the front part and the left part, and those parts were split into only two corridors each… So basically she had been wandering this carpeted level like an idiot, when this could have been much easier! No wonder everyone else had already settled into their rooms!

"Dang it!" She lashed out at the wall beside an elegantly carved door, and furiously claimed the room behind the door as hers. Throwing it open, she found a fairly big space, with a wooden floor and a long red rug covering the length of the room. It was nice and simple, a dressing table and a chest of drawers beside a pair of wide windows in the centre of the room, and the items necessary for ablutions near the far right wall, which was decorated with summery patterns in varying shades of gold. There was a single, bare bed against the far left wall – every wall was undecorated save for the wall on the right. But the thing that made such a modest room take Katara's breath away was the view through the curtainless window. Sure, the rock obstructed what would have been an even better view, but what she saw now was gorgeous: it must have been closer to dusk, for there were streaks of blue, orange, red and purple in the sky. The sunlight seemed to project these colours onto the rock before her, including the colours of the house and just a light dusting of the trees' green. It could only be seen from this position, and she thought that if the sun sank lower, the rock would appear like the sun did on the eclipse. It was lovely, and surprising that it was even possible.

Katara glanced downwards, out the window. There was a lower set of the traditional roofs, commonly awnings, which also lined the courtyard. If she climbed out the window, she could easily stand on the pointy awning directly outside of it and get an even closer look; just something she could do to see how this sight came to be. Before she could wholly do this, there was a light rap on her open door. Placing her bag on the floor before the window, she turned to find Suki leaning against the doorframe.

"Picked your room, huh?" She tilted her head and looked past Katara. "That's really pretty."

Katara smiled. "Yeah… What's going on?"

"Aang and Zuko wanna show us some new firebending moves. But you don't even have to leave your room to watch!"

_Oh, right, I can even see the courtyard from this room._ "Huh, that's a good idea…" said Katara with exaggerated intrigue. "Care to join me, Suki?"

She giggled. "Nah, I'm gonna take a look around the town square. Sokka wants to go shopping."

"Again?"

"Mmm. We're wearing disguises. Turns out he and I have similar interests." Suki shrugged.

Katara laughed. She was preparing for Suki to tell her about the engagement she secretly knew about. The Kyoshi Warrior and her brother had been spending an awful amount of time together lately – planning, perhaps? "You crazy kids go ahead – just don't overspend," she said lamely after a moment in which Suki confided nothing. _Okay, so she didn't tell me anything… That doesn't bother me at all. No, I'm totally fine with it. Totally fine!_

"I don't trust myself." Suki dramatically placed a hand to her chest. "Tell me if anyone gets fried while we're gone."

It was an effort not to sound dry and offended. "Sure will."

* * *

"I don't get why she didn't tell you." Toph frowned as she faced Aang and Zuko's training session, chin propped on both hands. She and Katara sat in the shade of the awnings; it turned out that they covered rows of concrete stands surrounding the courtyard, held up by wooden bars. Between the stands and the rock and surrounding walls were thin walkways which were rimmed with shrubs, also covered. "She couldn't stop jumping around that afternoon."

Katara bit her lip. "You know, I never thought Sokka would be that…"

"Stupid? Irresponsible? Crazy?" offered Toph.

"Serious," amended Katara gently. "I never thought he'd be that serious."

Toph snorted. "He _is_ Sokka."

"Speaking of which," Katara's eyes slid over to Toph, "you were meant to tell me something about that."

A wry smile tugged at Toph's mouth. "Oh yeah… Guess I could count on you to remember."

"Well, you _did _leave me hanging at a bad time."

She chortled, and then took a deep breath. "I know. And you've gotta promise to never tell anyone about this."

"I promise – you know I wouldn't tell anyone else."

"True, but I also have a condition." Toph's celery eyes pierced hers, even though the younger girl probably could not feel the intensity that Katara felt from it. "You have to tell me what happened with you and Zuko."

"All right, but… not now."

"Why?"

"I need to process it," Katara said the first thing that came to mind. The stands beneath them were stone – Toph would be able to sense if that statement was true.

Oddly, she did not argue and accepted it with a little nod. She shut her eyes and ducked her head, placing her hands on her green headband as if she were protecting her skull from exploding. "I'm not sure about the engagement," she said in a voice that could nearly be drowned out by the fire blasts in the background. "It just doesn't feel right."

"But why?" Katara thought that she would know the answer, but chose to wait for Toph's confirmation.

It startled Katara when Toph suddenly reached out with one hand and clutched the waterbender's wrist. "Please, Katara," she whispered. "Please don't tell anyone. _Please_…"

"Oh, Toph…" Katara could not resist curling her free hand around Toph's shoulders and pulling her closer. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Only if you're all right. And you don't look like it – just relax."

"No!" she protested. "I have to tell you. I can't keep it in forever." Her grip on Katara's wrist was vice-like. "I shouldn't even be feeling this angry. But don't get me wrong – I'm so happy for Suki and Sokka. Really, I am. But I can't shake this feeling. I was meant to be over it, and I could've sworn I was. I just don't understand why…"

"Why what? What is it?" Katara tried to mask how nosy she sounded.

"Ugh…" Toph chewed her lip, showing rare uncertainty. "I used to like Sokka," she breathed finally, her shoulders slumping after the confession. It seemed to make her calmer. She swallowed. "I used to _like_-like him – a lot. He made me less scared of flying, treated me like an equal the whole way through, and… I just really _liked_ him. I'd never had crushes before; it was so different. I was happy… This sounds stupid, doesn't it?"

"Not at all!"

Toph gave a little smile. "Then Suki came into the picture and I liked her too – she was a good friend and kinda cool. She has her lame moments, but those are all part of her character, and I liked her enough. And then Suki and Sokka got together. It was… sweet, and because they were both special to me, I wanted them to be happy. I swear I did. For a while, I didn't even _have_ feelings for Sokka anymore. He was my close friend and I didn't mind it. It was all right to stay that way, and he seemed to genuinely love Suki – she obviously returned it. Remember those times when we were up late, and she'd go on and on about him?"

"Yeah… A little corny, but I suppose it was sweet."

"Ha, got that right… So, I was happy for them. But I dunno… As soon as I heard they were getting engaged, I was really shocked. I was _angry_. And I didn't even know why! I just felt like that all of a sudden. But I also thought it was rushed and maybe they needed to think things through. Marriage is a hectic commitment! Now I get this mixed feeling – I'm not sure whether it's because I don't want everyone to grow up without me, whether I don't like him, or whether I do like him. I'm so confused, Katara…" She groaned and let her face fall into her lap.

Katara's arm was still on Toph's back. She had pretended to not be taken aback at all with Toph's confession; secretly, she was wanting to coo, and struggled not to place a hand to her chest and babble about how cute it is. That was for the first part. For the second part, Katara had something she hoped would help Toph, even if it was just a little bit. Her blue eyes were fixed on the fire blasts shooting from Zuko and Aang in front of them. "Well, maybe a part of you still likes him. Maybe… you're just worried about if their relationship doesn't work and someone will get hurt. Because you still like him a little, and you care about Suki, you probably just need reassurance that this is the right path for them, and no one is going to get hurt."

"Yeah." Toph sat up. "Go on…"

"Or…" Katara watched as Zuko demonstrated a fire disk, a sheet of sweat forming on his bare, chiseled torso. "You didn't get the chance to tell him that you like him, and you're secretly upset about it…"

"I think we should stick to the first one. Carry on, anyway."

"Oh, well, don't think you're not allowed to feel this way – you can, but I don't think it's good for any of you, especially if you keep with the tension and hostility." Katara looked away when Zuko noticed her staring and glanced at her. "You shouldn't be afraid of feelings, Toph, and it's great that you told me this, but please don't punish Suki, Sokka and yourself?"

"…I'll definitely try." Toph took another deep breath. "But what if I want to stop feeling like this? I wanna stop, but the only way is to tell them, and I don't want them to know that I… _liked_ Sokka."

"Uh… Wait, I know! Don't say that you _liked _him. Say that you care about them both, a lot. It's the truth, but Sokka's not bright enough to figure out how you mean it, and Suki won't pick it up. You know, _none_ of us could pick it up this whole time!" Katara paused. "And you know that you mustn't break them up, right?"

"Of course. I just told you I care for them too much," Toph stated as though it were the most obvious fact ever.

"Good. But in my opinion, I'm sure they'll be happy together."

"Actually, I know it too," said Toph, raising her eyebrows. "But I think I needed to talk to someone, and I feel much better now that I talked to you."

"But you still have to talk to them alone, okay?"

Toph grinned. "Yep. I need the closure. And thanks – surprisingly, you know a lot about this stuff, Katara."

She sighed. "Well, I know how it feels to like somebody but not like them at the same time," she said quietly.

"I'm glad that you're back." Toph reached over and punched Katara's arm.

"Ouch!" Katara cried, as Aang completed the move Zuko had demonstrated. "Um, yeah… me too. _Wow_, you punch hard."

* * *

Dinnertime was spent outside on the stands, the members of Team Avatar letting their skin drink in the heat of the night air. Zuko had brewed a pot of Ginseng tea – his uncle's favourite, apparently – as a 'welcome' to his family's old holiday home, and now after dinner, the group was sitting in a cluster pretending to enjoy said tea. To bide time and avoid drinking it, set in place was a conversation, the topic of which being pilfering and scamming.

"…And then I ignored him until he walked away with that deranged bearded cat of his," said Sokka, finishing the recount of his afternoon adventure in the town square with a sweep of the arm.

Suki tittered and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so while Sokka was trying to avoid being _asked_ _directions_ to the main beach, I picked up this flyer." She plucked a tatty piece of paper lying next to her and held it up, beside her head, so that her friends could see. "Apparently, there was a play showing the adventures of Team Avatar."

Toph sighed. "Again, you people think I can see what's on the paper!"

"Sorry," said Suki. "If it helps, you look…" She trailed off uncertainly, staring at the masculine and crudely done image of Toph's character in the corner of the yellow paper. "…Um, you look fine. Just fine, Toph."

Toph propped her head on her elbow and scratched her head. "I'm played by an adorable, kitty-loving little girl, aren't I?"

There was a moment's silence before everyone burst out laughing, Sokka managing to shed tears, and some pounding their fists on the stands. "What? What'd I say?" asked Toph, her palms turning skyward as she raised her arms in confusion. She grunted when Katara gave a breathless apology and the laughing subsided, chests heaving.

Suki cleared her throat. "I'm gonna put the flyer down now." A few more giggles.

Sokka hooked his arm on her shoulder and leaned his weight heavily on her, sighing. "Too bad we missed it."

"We did? Aw, I would've wanted to see it." Katara reached for the flyer beside Suki. "Hey… do I really look that fat?" She pointed out her blushing drawing to Aang.

"No," he said. His grey eyes ran over the dreamy text across the overstated main picture, and then the text at the bottom below a picture of the director, which told of the actors and their respective characters. "But… I think I'm played by a girl."

"No way." Toph cracked a devilish smile. "_No way._"

Sokka grabbed the flyer from Katara's hand, momentarily admiring his masculine picture, and read the bottom, a smile that stretched from ear to ear quickly forming. "Yes way, Toph. Aang is played by a bald pre-teen girl!"

The laughing was struck up again – just a tad toned down as time had caught up with them, making them more tired – with the exception of Aang who was slouching lower and lower, trying to cover up his flushed cheeks. Katara noticed that, whereas the group started laughing again while stifling yawns and rubbing eyes, Toph only smiled along at what Sokka had said. _She probably didn't get the chance to talk to them yet. Or she's as tired as I am._ Aang held up his hands. "Can we talk about stealing again?"

"Sure, sure," said Suki. It was getting late now, the laughter taking more effort to be natural and uninterrupted by yawning. "How did a cute girl _steal _the role from the other manly actors?"

Sokka chuckled. "She must've stolen the director's heart!"

Katara beamed, eyes hazing for a moment, and caught snippets of Zuko mumbling to himself through a yawn. A hushed utterance of how… something along the lines of the aforementioned was stolen from him…? Katara narrowed her eyes, and forgot to be aloof when her emotions flared. "What did you say?" she snapped at Zuko, a deep scowl on her face.

He looked at her solemnly. "A normal bed was stolen from me when I went with you on the mission," he said slowly before turning to the others. "Good night, guys."

Katara bitterly watched his retreating back, mentally scolding herself for slipping up like that. When she turned away to face the remaining members, she felt Aang's eyes on her. Looking up at the boy sitting one step above her, she saw something strange in his eyes. His expression was blank, but his eyes were glued on her, and carried enough meaning to let Katara know that Aang had heard what Zuko said. And if she could expand that, he maybe even had a sense of what had happened between them…

Tearing her gaze from the boy, Katara frowned at her hands in her lap. Such a pleasant evening turned cold, such a strange slip-up in her patience, such a confusing thing going on between her and Zuko. But was he punishing her for what was not going on?

Because she could _absolutely_ move on unaffected.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Thanks for reading! And the chapter title is intended not to be spelled like the old saying, 'Home is where the heart is'. :)**

**Guess who gave up and finally got a deviantArt account? If you guessed pigeons, then you are terribly wrong! If you guessed SuperSonic Violet, then you are terribly right! Hmm, I'm not sure why I'm so hyped up about it. Probably 'cause I have this insanely hard password that takes five tries before I get it right, because I can fave those pretty pieces I like, and because I'm probably the last one on the entire planet to get an account! O.O I don't even think I'm gonna upload anything… Eh well. Now I can go on faving rampages, like the one I had last night that also helped in the delay of this update… **

**That is all. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D**


	15. Private Thoughts

**A/N: Yo. 8D It's been a while, huh?**

**I was inspired to get going with this fic after watching the trailer for Korra – and nearly being brought to tears. Ack! I don't know whether to be happy or sad about it! I'm going to miss all of these wonderful characters so much, yet I'm also eager for more Avatar time. Oh, Aang, that smile of yours! ToT Don't be fooled by my Aang-hating – it only applies when he gets in the way of Zutara. Otherwise, like probably every other character (except that annoying prick Kuei), I love him to bits…**

**Sigh, such an emotional few weeks: more Korra business; Rukia returning to Bleach; I watched Harry Potter **_**twice**_** and I cried **_**twice**_**. Sniff, just the other day they were ickle firsties! I'm also hugely offended by my friend who keeps badmouthing Snape. D: Pfft, I iz still proud to say that I loved Snape from the very beginning. Let us have a moment of silence for the awesomeness that is and always will be Snape, and my favourite Weasley twin, Fred. *…spoils moment of silence with agonized sobs***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything copyrighted mentioned here. I especially do not own Harry Potter – let's thank J.K. Rowling for forming most of our childhoods. :')**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Private Thoughts**

* * *

"Okay, okay, Sokka!" _Sigh._ "I'll go shopping with you," Zuko acknowledged his defeat in a quieter tone.

And that was how a blathering Sokka had been silenced at last before the boys parted their ways to sleep, as they had been doing for every night since arriving on Ember Island. Zuko heard his spine pop as he settled beneath the covers in his bedroom, now shrouded in shadows. He stared up at the ceiling, thinking back on the past week since landing. Not much else had been done in that time: the hours of the day would be spent training for the arrival of the Comet at the end of the month, and the nights would be spent cooling off and socializing before everyone retired to their bedrooms. It was a nice distraction, he thought.

The sheets were cool on Zuko's bare chest with each rise and fall, and his eyelids were growing heavier by the second. Those were the last things he noted before the shadows of the room blurred together and sleep crept over him. But, it seemed, as soon as his eyelids fell, an annoying blast of orange pricked at the corners of his closed eyes. With a grumble he sat up and rubbed his eyes, adjusting to the morning light that had come too quickly. Hm, not much of a surprise, since every day of this past week flew by faster than a moving fist… The days were merciless, not stopping for him to absorb them, less meaningful than they should have been. There was no time to stop and think, for in a mere two weeks, Aang would have to face his destiny at last.

However, the current day that awaited him and Sokka was a welcome break from training.

After getting ready, Zuko ran a hand through his slightly damp hair and made sure the sash on his tunic was tight before exiting his large, bright room. He closed the door behind him with his boot before setting off down the hall, deciding he would visit his mother's favourite room where she used to enjoy painting. Princess Ursa had been a skilled artist and she loved children… It made the next few beats of Zuko's heart painful when he thought of the room she had always wanted for a new addition to the family. Before things started to spiral downwards and the family had been somewhat happy, her paintings had decorated the room, placed on every piece of furniture.

"_Zuko, my sweetheart, I hope I can give you a new brother or sister. What do you say to that?"_

"_I don't think I'll be a good brother! Azula says I'm not."_

"_Now don't listen to her – she doesn't mean it. You're a wonderful brother."_

"_Really?"_

"_Of course. You can even help hang up the paintings. We'll put some in your room, if you want."_

"_I'm excited for a new baby – I hope it's a boy this time. Are you gonna have one, Mom?"_

"_Perhaps. We'll have to wait and see."_

Zuko remembered with scary clarity the afternoon when they had had that conversation, one summer before Ursa was banished. She had been so eager and cheerful at first, but the last statement had been distant – as if she already knew that there would be no addition to the family. As if she already knew that she would not be there. She loved children, yes, but maybe there was another purpose. Was she hoping to give him company when she was gone? Trying to instill some good in his father as a last resort, to change his mind about whatever caused her banishment?

"Figures he wouldn't change," Zuko muttered to himself as he rounded a corner.

It was strange how he had woken up thinking about it. His uncle had never liked him to ponder too much about it, and he had trained himself well enough to focus on other things. These thoughts would drift in from time to time, but not often. Not often enough to bother him. Either way, they convinced him to go to his mother's favourite room this morning for nostalgia's sake – but upon opening the door, Zuko had certainly not expected to find what he found there now.

She was standing in front of the open window, arranging a tiny Fire Nation headdress on her topknot. And it was not only the headdress that was Fire Nation, but the rest of her clothing too: a tunic skirt slit down the sides over a pair of loose pants, adding to the flair of the bottom half of the outfit; strappy sandals that looked very comfortable; and a one-shoulder top that he noticed when she flipped her long hair – in a Fire Nation hairstyle, the headdress now in place. Her hair, appearing much longer than before, fell to just past her hips, and along with the outfit complemented the curve of her waist now visible with the two-piece outfit she was wearing.

"Suki, is that you?" she asked, clasping a bracelet around her wrist, her back to the door where Zuko stood staring.

It was amazing how she could transform from a Water Tribe warrior to a Fire Nation civilian, he thought off-handedly.

Suddenly Katara turned around, having not heard a response, and flinched slightly. "How long have you been there?" she asked, looking away and fiddling with the bracelet.

"I just got here." He bit his lip. "…You're dressed Fire Nation?"

She raised her eyebrows, a smirk playing on her lips. "You sound like you're talking about the enemy. _You're dressed Fire Nation_," she tried but failed to copy his voice. "I am. Do I pass for a typical, teenaged Fire Nation girl that'd usually swoon over the amazing Prince Zuko?"

Zuko crept forward, arms folded, and joined her in looking out the window. "A little too well."

She whipped her head around. "Why?"

"There isn't a single teenage Fire Nation girl – besides Azula, for obvious reasons – that doesn't swoon over me," he said in his most conceited tone. How easy she was to agitate. Perhaps she hadn't changed at all…

"Yeah, right. Why did you barge into my room, Zuko? There's a thing called knocking first, you know."

All right, she _definitely_ hadn't changed – she was still inquisitive, still easy to agitate, still _Katara_. It was stupid to think that she would have changed, but maybe he was fooled because they had hardly spoken since the night of the arrival. "My mother used to like this room."

"I'm sorry," she said instantly but sincerely.

"Don't worry about it. See those colours?" He pointed at the rock towering over the courtyard, colours washed over it like the sea upon a shore. He suddenly felt at ease, for some reason. "She used to love painting them. One day, I remember climbing out onto the awning to paint them better. She panicked so much and… I'm ranting. Sorry."

"Look's like you're getting more like me," she joked. "Say, how is that even possible – the colours?"

"The rock was painted with a reflective coating – any colour something in front of it turns, the rock will turn that colour too. Pretty cool – which is why Azula only bothered to learn how to sketch people."

Katara laughed. "Did _Azula _draw the picture of your mother I found?"

"You found a picture of her?"

"Well, yeah. I think it's her." Katara went over to the chest of drawers beside the dressing table, and retrieved a sheet of parchment from the top drawer after a moment of rummaging around. "Is it her?" She handed it to Zuko and took her place on his left again.

Zuko's lips twitched into a little smile as he looked down at the simple portrait of his mother, only a bit more undetailed then the portrait of Ursa he stowed in his shoulder bag. "It is her, but I'm positive Azula didn't draw it."

Katara smiled. "She's beautiful."

With his hair falling in his face, Zuko stole a glance at the waterbender beside him. She looked fascinated with Ursa's picture, but… she had that expression on her face for their entire conversation. Maybe she had not thought the topic boring because similar things had happened to her, only her mother could never come back. He ran his eyes over her profile. It was good that they were talking again; he enjoyed talking to her, even when it was in the form of petty arguments. But it was almost surprising how much easier it was when they were talking about something normal and common to either of them. The feeling of acceptance came over him again, and his heart stuttered when her eyes suddenly caught onto his – he must have been staring for a tad too long. Another feeling, akin to the one from the day they had confronted Yon Rha, also came over him; the one from when she had been crying and he was trying to find a subtle way to comfort her and they looked at each other and-

"Katara!"

Zuko pulled back and Katara immediately swept to the door, looking a bit more dazed than he felt. If it were not for Suki's ringing voice interrupting them, things would have gone further than the day of the confrontation, and he did not like to think of the consequences. He already had too many and did not want more to add to the load – not that she was a burden, for he would never think of her as one. It was more of himself, really, and whatever consequences he faced would surely affect her too. He did not want her to be weighed down by his problems.

"Yeah?" Katara called back.

"You ready to go yet? We don't want the day to go by, and we've got tons to do!" Suki was obviously in another corridor and too lazy to come to Katara's bedroom.

"Yes, I'm ready! I'll meet you downstairs!" She sighed and turned back to him. "I've gotta go – don't go through my things while I'm gone."

Zuko folded his arms and leaned against the window. "I'm not you – plus, I'm babysitting your brother for the day."

She grimaced. "Good luck. Seriously."

She was about to go, when he held up his hand and stopped her. "Your mother's necklace," he explained, eyes on the blue choker. "It's not Fire Nation."

"Oh, yeah… I always forget to take it off." She moved back into the room to stand by the dressing table, fumbling with the hook underneath her blanket of brown hair.

"Need some help?" he offered and made to reach for her.

Katara drew away, finally able to slip the necklace off and lay it on the dressing table. "No thanks," she muttered, snatching a red necklace and shuffling to the door. "I'll see you and Sokka later." And then she was gone.

The first time alone together since the mission and he blew it by trying to step into the unknown again. Nice. "Just wonderful…"

* * *

"What about this one? Too manly for ya?"

"Of course, Sokka. I'm not manly enough to handle that sword, especially since I've used dual Dao swords before… Guess it doesn't help that they were on fire, huh?"

"You could just say they were _flaming_." Sokka smirked as Zuko rolled his eyes, and shoved the broadsword back onto the hook with a _clang_. "I'm the sarcastic one, okay? Lay off it."

Zuko smirked back – if only to prove that his manliness was unaffected. "Fine. Where to next?"

Sokka stroked his chin, squinting. "Let's go buy a map!" he burst out finally, and rushed out of the weapons shop without warning.

"Hey, wait!" Zuko hastily followed, mindful that Sokka would get into some form of trouble without his supervision. "What's up with you?" he asked the other boy when he escaped the crowded shop and stepped out onto the sandy street.

Sokka shrugged. "I want a map now."

"…Why?"

"Just for the heck of it."

Zuko sighed. "Can't argue with that reasoning. Follow me, then." He tugged the hood of his maroon cloak lower over his face, hands in his pockets as the two made their way along the street of the busy market. "Is there a reason you dragged only me with you, and not Aang?"

Sokka shrugged again, eliciting suspicion from Zuko. "He and Toph needed to train."

"But they've been training enough as it is," he pointed out, dodging a running child as they walked. "I should be training Aang right now instead of shopping-but-not-really-shopping with you." At that, Zuko nearly turn around and march back to the beach house, but Sokka grabbed his cloak and exposed Zuko's identity for two seconds. "Hey!" Zuko slapped his hood forward again.

"Just come on, Sparky," hissed Sokka, and hauled the struggling firebender as he walked. "I have some news for you."

"Stop."

"What?"

"I said stop, Sokka." Zuko tried to yank his arm out of Sokka's grip.

Apparently, Sokka was not going to let go very soon. "Quit being stubborn! It's important."

"No, Sokka, this is the map shop. You can stop walking," Zuko pronounced each word very carefully.

The Water Tribe boy, dressed as though he were Fire Nation, feebly glanced up at the shop sign a few paces behind him. "Oh. Right. Well, that's how important the news is! It's distracting and takes a toll on me, you know? It's weighing me down. I hope it doesn't drag me into nothingness – I'm a passionate guy. I like being able to feel and being able to wake up in the morning and sing and…"

"Shut up, Sokka," mumbled Zuko, pulling the boy into the shop behind him.

"…Life is great as it is, Zuko. But there's no harm in wanting more, right? I think I've found a new meaning to life with all of you guys, including you, Sparky. The power of friendship made me who I am and…" Sokka's voice had begun to rise as he splurged more dramatically than before, switching topics much too quickly. "…I mean, it's great that Suki and I are engaged. I'm happy for us. But will the world be happy? What do people really think? I shouldn't be asking these questions but…"

Zuko reeled around and grabbed Sokka by the shoulders, giving him a good shake. "For the love of gilacorns, Sokka, stop talking. And hold up… You and Suki are engaged?"

"You and Katara mention gilacorns a lot. That a quirk of yours or something?"

"Just answer the question!"

Sokka nodded and grinned. "Yup."

Zuko was… honestly impressed. He never thought Sokka would have the guts to suggest commitment to any girl, let alone one like Suki. Ah, but she did keep him attached to the ground quite well. Sokka seemed like a lazy, sometimes arrogant joker, but Suki gave him a new definition. It was a superb match. They were good for each other, cogs in a clock… "Well done, Sokka," was all Zuko managed to say in the end – only to save his reputation, for he might have ended up blurting some sappy nonsense like Sokka just did.

"Thanks. It's a hard time for these things, so I wanted to know from all of you if you think it's wrong to do this. We've both thought about what it could mean for us – if the War ends in our favour or if it doesn't…" Sokka actually sounded serious, sober – unlike how he normally did. Zuko had never heard Sokka like this before, and so was able to comprehend how important it was.

"It doesn't matter – at least you know you're able to manage the Comet's arrival and your relationships, with Suki and the rest of us." _Unlike me._ "At least you're prepared for the consequences." _Unlike me._ "I'm happy for you two."

"That's great, Sparky!" Sokka was himself again. "C'mon, let's get a map to say we bought something. Wouldn't want anyone to know there was no shopping on this shopping-spree."

"So you admit it was a shopping-spree that time?"

"You were there too, remember?"

"Yeah, but for me it was a supplies trip."

* * *

Overall, it was a pleasant afternoon. Zuko and Sokka had secretly enjoyed the various childish tests to prove that one was manlier than the other. Their challenges involved walking all over town, in and out of the market, which was not so bad even though there was Zuko's thick, heavy cloak to consider. Sure, the summer sun was bright and he was feeling hot, but he did not let that bother him. After he put forward a challenge, it would be Sokka's turn – these challenges ranged from placing a whole hand on the side of an oven in a pastry shop and holding out a piece of food to attract a swarm of seagulls, to throwing a coconut as far as possible and chewing on crushed ice but pretending that it did not hurt their teeth.

It made him feel like a child again. At least he knew that he could count on Sokka to lift his spirits, to be the closest thing he could have to a brother, to _laugh_ once in a while. Genuine, guiltless laughter certainly felt good after such a long time.

Currently, the boys were walking along the lining of the beach and the village, the sun low with a tint of purple in the sky. Katara must be marveling at the colours she could see… Ah, what also felt good was talking to her properly. He wished their interactions did not always have to end bitterly or lingering. Maybe one day, he would stop being a coward and make things better…

"So, what's up with you and my sister?" asked Sokka casually. "I saw what happened at dinner last week – _acid_." Sokka held up his hand, a clump of ice in its palm, and wriggled his slightly burnt fingers.

"Nothing. We were just sick of travelling so much," he lied.

"Ah well. She's like that when she doesn't get enough sleep." Sokka shuddered as if remembering a horrible episode with Katara as the star. "Y'know, Suki would've told her about the engagement by now… I wonder how she took it."

"Is that what this was?" asked Zuko, realization dawning on him like the bright sun had this morning.

"A double-sided mission where we tell both of you separately that we're engaged?" said Sokka. "Pretty much, yeah."

Zuko kept silent for a bit, stretching his arms and flexing his fingers, one of which had a nick on it from when the seagulls attacked. When he settled his arms at his sides again, beneath the cloak, something down on the beach snagged his eye – and after turning to fully look, he stopped dead in his tracks. "Wait."

"What is it?" asked Sokka lazily. "I'm only listening to you this time to avoid embarrassment-"

"It's Suki and Katara." Without waiting for him, Zuko set off, boots sinking into the sand as he slid down the slope leading to the shore. He heard Sokka get into gear and follow him when Suki balled her fists at one of the two boys that were terrorizing them – Suki daringly shoved the one with hair hanging in his face, while Katara could do nothing but struggle as the more beefy one had his hands firmly around her wrists. Zuko's temper flared and he charged forward, undoing the clasp of his cloak and letting the smooth material fall behind him as he ran.

The boy did not even have time to take the new presences into account before Zuko jammed his boot into his abdomen, sending him tumbling along the ground. He groaned and clutched his abdomen in pain as Zuko tossed a ball of fire at the other boy; he dodged it narrowly, and the hair hanging at his shoulders was singed. Sokka had not bothered to attack him and had only tugged Suki away to check if she was all right. When Zuko straightened up, Katara was rubbing her wrists and looking at him in amazement.

"And where did you come from?" she said. "You weren't stalking us, were you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Not even a small thank you. I think that's gonna haunt me for the rest of my life," he said flatly.

Katara's response was interrupted when the beefy boy suddenly sat up. He stared at Zuko with bewilderment. "You… You, from that night two or so months ago… You ruined everything!" He forced himself clumsily to his feet and lunged at Zuko, who stepped aside and let the boy get a decent mouthful of sand.

"Great to see you too, Chan," said Zuko dismissively, light amusement dancing in his eyes as he watched the boy with the long hair experience a similar reaction, except he took off running down the beach. "I'm not sure… Ruan-something, was it?" Zuko shrugged. "I'm not sure he thinks the same."

"Who's that?" Katara inclined her head to whisper in Zuko's ear without looking at him.

"He invited us to this party two months ago. Azula could've possibly liked him, but by the night was over, she was looking for revenge."

"I'm guessing he didn't like her back?"

"Mmm. Wrecked the house and set it alight. It wasn't pretty, and his father was a lieutenant away at sea and didn't want his son throwing any parties…"

"Ouch."

"Got that right."

"My eyes! My eyes!" howled Chan when he finally managed to heave himself out of the sand.

"Poor guy," commented Sokka. "Just can't seem to win, can he?"

Suki grinned. "Well, I was hoping this would turn into an epic battle of combat and bending…" She glanced down at Chan and between her friends. "Why don't we all just call it a day? I'll make dinner, Katara – if I do, I'll slowly be teaching Sokka how to cook for real anyways. Then we can tell them how we ended up in this situation."

With his arm around his fiancée, Sokka and Suki began the walk towards the sandy road. "Other than that you're really attractive?" Sokka tried to charm her. Zuko and Katara overheard him and politely looked away when they shared in a brief kiss.

Zuko cleared his throat. "Shall we?" He gestured for her to walk ahead of him, but was surprised when she laced her arm through his, linking them.

Silence was followed by this, and was only broken much later when they started along the long forest path leading to the beach house. "Thanks," she said quietly, eyes on the ground. "I'm grateful for that, Zuko."

He blinked as he felt her squeeze his arm, and tried to hide how giddy he felt. If the feeling made its way to his face, he might end up looking too frightening, and frightening was not what he wanted to be in the middle of a forest. "You shouldn't thank me – if Chan hadn't had you buy the wrists, you would've done much worse than anything I'd do."

"I'm glad you're informed."

He chuckled. "Always modest."

"And what about that other guy that ran off? You called him Ruan-something."

Zuko stiffened, the giddy feeling gone, replaced by something colder – almost as cold as Mai's last look that often haunted him… "Not much."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Ha, so much to say about Chan and nothing about Ruan-something? It must be juicier than I thought."

"It's nothing. Don't worry about things like that."

She glanced up at him, sensing his being unsettled. "What is it?"

Zuko swallowed. It was part of the past, right? He could tell her, right? This did not count as a burden to her, did it? He hoped not, but spoke as if on autopilot. "He showed interest in Mai." That was the simplest way to put it; he did not want to go into too many details.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know." There was a pregnant pause, until as an afterthought she added, "But how are you and Mai? Were you, uh, fine when you left?" She surveyed him curiously out of the corner of her eye, her tone now carrying a false note.

He sighed. She was inquisitive, as usual, but she had never expressed large interest in any past relationships he may have had. What was so different now? There was a secret possibility in his mind that he hoped for most, but he settled for the most unconvincing: that she was only trying a new aspect of the topic. "No. I… don't know. Probably not, since I only left her a letter…"

"Why a letter?"

_Huh?_ He frowned. "Katara, why are you asking this?"

She narrowed her eyes as they came to a stop next to the ajar gate. "I have a lot of things to ask you, Zuko. I can ask you whatever I want – like what did you say last week at dinner? Why can't you just tell me?"

He looked away. "Those are private thoughts."

"Private thoughts aren't spoken aloud in front of everyone. They aren't meant to be spoken at all! So why do you speak them? It only makes things more complicated – hey!"

She was obviously taken by surprise when Zuko's palms suddenly met with the wall on either side of her, pinning her in place and carelessly tossing personal space aside. He leaned down to look her in the eyes, noses almost touching. "Private thoughts are private thoughts, yeah," his voice was soft, "and it _is_ much better that they are unspoken." She took a deep breath, trying to calm down, the front of her body brushing against his and her exhaled breath tickling his chin. "And it _does_ make things more complicated. I've had private thoughts throughout this whole conversation and so have you. _Maybe_ it would make things significantly less awkward between us if we let it all spill. But it's obvious we _can't_ do that, and that's why I _can't_ tell you."

Her eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes wide as if roused from a trance after he stopped speaking – and suddenly her hands were clutching his shoulders and his back met with the wall that she had been pressed against only a split-second before. Her expression was blank. "Don't tell me what I can and can't do." Her hands disappeared from his shoulders and so did she from right in front of him, and she left him leaning against the wall alone after rushing through the gate.

He had offended her by the unexpected proximity, and clearly underestimated her strength as a waterbender – but he had also been caught off-guard with her question. It was strange that she wanted to know what he had said, when she was smart enough to put two and two together. Or perhaps she was uncertain and denying possibilities like he was… Because his slip-up would have been an enormous giveaway if she figured it out and was absolutely sure.

Yes, something of his had definitely been stolen – captured, even… And it took the physical form of the rapidly beating heart inside his chest. Zuko dusted the grime off of his hands and slumped to the ground against the wall.

* * *

**A/N:**

…**Because we've all been wanting some Zutara proximity, right? XD**

**So while I was absent, I wasn't bumming around – not all the time anyway. :P I managed to conjure up some new fics – a oneshot called **_**Into the Night**_** and a different series of oneshots entered under **_**Slices of Ocean Kumquat**_**! Hurr, do take a look if you can? I'll love you forever if you do. O3O (No jokes, because I'm actually surprisingly pretty proud of how some of them turned out… and that doesn't happen very often. '^.^)**

**Thanks for reading, and for your encouraging reviews!**

**Oh, and if you didn't get the thing Sokka said about "flaming", look it up on Urban Dictionary – it should be the second meaning, or the fourth one which is **_**hilarious**_**! But if you did get it, still, go onto Urban Dictionary now. :P (No offense intended, so you know.) Also, don't take Sokka's splurge seriously – it was all a load of tripe until the serious part. ^.^**


	16. A Taste of the Unknown

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter because – well, you'll see if you read on. ;)**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender and anything copyrighted is not owned by me!**

* * *

**Chapter 16: A Taste of the Unknown**

* * *

Katara hardly ate that night. She hardly spoke, either. The same could be said for her sleep, because all she could do was stare up at the darkened ceiling and wonder how she could make things better. She was usually good at this sort of thing, knowing just what to say to someone and just how to say it.

But with Zuko…

Katara sighed. She felt as though she was the one mostly in the wrong, constantly spiting him and creating the perfect hostile situations. It had started out as an honest conversation, a cordial walk through the forest after a day out. She was asking him about the two buffoons they had encountered on the beach – the ones who had made leering suggestions at her and Suki; the girls had promptly tried to physically discipline them. It had spiraled downwards, a bit, when Katara realized in shock that she could not use her waterbending in public, and the boy – Chan, was it? – had taken the opportunity to hold her steady and proceeded to taunt her.

Although it was not a perilous case as it might have been with a seasoned Fire Nation general, Katara could not deny the relief that rushed through her veins when she saw Zuko. She did not enjoy playing the part of the damsel in distress, but at least now she could see why those girls in the romance books were so delighted when their hero came to rescue them. Katara blushed. When had she begun to think of Zuko as that?

Oh, right, probably after the many times he had saved her.

Katara shook her head in an attempt to clear it of these thoughts – but only more trickled in. She took solace in the fact that he was not here to read them… It was the forest walk. That was when the ill-feeling had come in. She was teasing him with good intent about Chan and Ruan-something, until she had asked for more details about Mai after his sudden restraint. There were many clues that his relationship with the Fire Nation noble had not survived, but she had to know. Strangely, it kind of mattered if he was still in a relationship with her. Especially if he loved her.

"But he doesn't, right?" she asked the ceiling. "He did say no… Sort of…" She took a deep breath, letting that moderately comfort her – ignoring the scratching memory behind that thought; the memory of when she had changed the subject to rant about what he had said the first night they arrived on Ember Island. She had honestly not cared about it anymore, but apparently she was prone to conjuring up useless details to shield herself. Although she knew she had to stop running away from it, she was afraid of him discovering that she might really-

"Go to sleep, Katara. Stop thinking," she whispered desperately to herself. Hair spread neatly out on her pillow and hands crossed over her abdomen, Katara closed her eyes and forced herself into a flimsy sleep.

* * *

_Bang, bang, bang!_

"Give me a second!" Katara called. Because her sleep had broken too early, she had taken the opportunity to freshen up and wash her hair with extreme depth, massaging in her hair lotion for longer than usual and generally wasting time so that she could delay appearing before her friends. They also had the tendency to – sometimes unintentionally – make her feel like the bad guy. And she agreed with them, which was why she did not want to go outside in the first place.

A towel wrapped around her shoulders over a peach robe, Katara barely finished smoothing her wet hair down when the door flew open, a pathetic _smack_ sounding as it made contact with the wall beside it. Katara whirled – and found herself considerably disappointed that a short, blind earthbender stood in the doorframe instead of a hot-headed firebender who was hoping to tell her off. _Telling each other off is better than ignoring completely…_

"Yo, Custard Tart," greeted Toph.

"That's a new nickname." Katara folded her arms. "I almost miss 'Sugar Queen'."

Toph smirked and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her more quietly than when she had opened it. "Change is good. We'll be finding that out in… what, two weeks?"

"The Comet arrives in two weeks, so Aang and the Fire Lord's battle will happen after that."

"That means we don't have to rush, right?"

"I guess so… With our plan, there's a little less pressure, and the firebenders won't have an advantage over Aang or any of us. We still have to take it seriously…" Katara unconsciously rubbed her arm.

"Tch, we know that."

She rolled her eyes. "What happened, Toph? No offense, but you don't really discuss strategy out of the blue."

Toph released a relieved sigh. "Whew, I'm glad you ended this boring talk first. Now we can move onto the real reason I'm here! You said you'd tell me about you and Zuko – and it's been a while since we last talked in private. And you're still acting weird whenever he's around." It was that somber tone of voice that Katara secretly feared.

A glimpse of the day they had been sitting on the cool, stone stands in the courtyard chased through Katara's mind. "Yes, I did."

"Spill."

The waterbender wrung her hands and paced to the window. She took a deep breath, the air that was filling her lungs doing only so much to relax her – in truth, this demand set her on edge, almost like in her early childhood when the tutor asked her a question and she knew the answer; her heart would start to pound, excited about knowing. Yes, like that, she knew the answer – and back then good often came of saying it… _So why not now?_ "I… I think that… maybe, just maybe, I might've grown closer to him."

Toph leaned back against the door, crossing one bare foot over the other. "And that's why you're like that around him? Even after getting closer and going on some epic adventure?"

"Hang on." Katara held up a hand. "What am I like around him, exactly?"

"You seriously don't know?"

"I kind of do, but I want to know your view."

Toph waved a hand in front of her face without blinking. "Not much of a view, but I know you're harsh. Huh, maybe even harsher than before you left!"

Katara pursed her lips. "It can't be that bad…"

She chuckled. "I know, I know… But let's just say it's tense between you two. It's hard to tell, but it's almost as if you aren't sure how to carry yourselves. Sometimes you're fine with everybody else, but when Zuko's around… there's a definite shift. You're also quieter than before. I'm getting the vibe that Zuko did something bad to you, so you'd better tell me the real thing before I make Sokka – and Aang – confront him." She paused. "Aang doesn't _need_ firebending to beat the Fire Lord, does he?"

"Don't be silly, Toph."

"I'm not! Answer me – did Zuko do something bad?"

"No! I know I've been really confusing, but that's what this all is. Because I act the way I act to him, it gets harder to tell him how I feel about him!"

Toph jolted away from the door so fast that she nearly tripped. "You have feelings for him?" she half-shouted.

"Shh!"

"Do you?"

Katara looked down, traces of an embarrassed smile on her lips. "I think so…" she said distantly, but not worriedly. It was surprising how good it felt to say it aloud.

Meanwhile, Toph was beside herself with joy. "After all this time, you finally admit it?"

"_What_?" squawked Katara.

"So how did it happen?"

"It… didn't. We almost kissed, but we didn't actually. Nothing happened. That's why it's so confusing," Katara pointed out. "It's hard to admit it – and it's also the wrong time with the War going on, and we've all got other duties to-"

"Duties to who? Please, Katara." It was Toph's turn to hold up a hand. "Stop coming up with excuses, because no duty can stop you. Only you can stop you, and that's what's happening. Sure, we've got the end of the War on our hands – doesn't change that you two will fight and help Aang, even if you're in a relationship. And getting approval from the others… Well, that shouldn't stop you anyway. Fight the power!" Toph punched the air with her fist. "Great motto."

"We probably won't need approval just yet – I haven't thought that far. And neither of us know about it properly," reminded Katara sheepishly.

"Liar. _You_ know about it. And if you do, then you have the power to let _him _know about it. Wake up, Katara."

Katara stared at her. "I should tell him?"

Toph's palm met with her forehead. "Spirits, help this crazy waterbender!"

"Hey!"

Toph sighed, dropping her hand to her side. "This confusion can't feel very nice – what better way to stop it than telling him? If you do, you can sort it out once and for all."

She nodded quickly. "If you say so… And hey, you're pretty good with advice yourself, Toph."

"Who knew?" Toph grinned. "Besides, I'm surprised at you, Katara – I didn't know you could be so daring. I'm proud of you."

Katara blushed. "At least someone will be if it gets out into the open…"

"Eh, I'll keep it to myself." The earthbender shrugged. "But I saw it coming all along!"

* * *

_Zuko,_

_Meet me on the balcony._

Katara frowned at the last five simple words she had written neatly on a piece of parchment. So far, her plan to talk to Zuko alone was going well – she had forced an early, sunset dinner on her friends, and had eaten quicker than all of them so that she could duck away to write him a note. But this note was just stupid! For her, it was an incredibly crafty scheme, and it would not be ruined by an unwarranted little letter.

She was about to dip the brush into the ink again in order to sign it with her name, keeping in mind that the after-dinner socializing was going to end when Aang went off to use Sokka as a combat dummy. Time was running out, so there was no point in dawdling. If it were possible, her frown deepened; what an unimaginative way to end off a note that would induce important results… She needed to inform him in a creative way that the note was from her, and that there was a reason for it. If she were in his place, she would not want to have a spontaneous talk with herself.

"Oh, I know…"

_Bring 'Love Amongst the Dragons' with you._

There. That was perfect. A reason and a signing-off both in one compact sentence. After all, nobody else in the group knew about the book except for her. It may not have seemed completely sane of her to suggest this after she exploded yesterday, but it was the best she could think of in the last minute. Now to pop it in his room and everything would be in place…

Katara suddenly looked up, hearing a yowl that sounded very Sokka-esque. If he and Aang – perhaps with the addition of Suki? – had already started training, then she had to get a move on and plant the note. Katara folded it into a prim rectangle and slipped out of the room, closing the door behind her and stepping through the arch into the outer hallway that faced the beach. The lamps at various intervals on the deep red walls were a dim yellow and the scarlet curtains were drawn; it was all tidy considering how fast she had been scrambling.

Soon she was standing in the left half of the huge house beside another archway – leading into the turret where there was a flight of spiraling stairs – at a pair of double doors that were large, but smaller than those of the Fire Lord's chambers. Azula's bedroom could not have been too far, probably at a safe distance from his in the inner hallway, which was a similar size to the outer. Oh, but the princess might have demanded a huge room with the best view…

Katara turned the knob and pushed one of the doors open, going inside. It was a spacious bedroom; there was a large bed against the left wall with gold-and-red bedding and tied mosquito nets, a wardrobe set into the right wall and two chairs by the wide window looking out at the forest and most of the town, a circular rug in the centre of the room under the large ceiling lamp. There was a tapestry of the Fire Nation insignia and a framed poster or two of firebending moves. But the reason Katara knew that this was Zuko's room, and not Azula's, was because there was a painting of two young boys with a black-haired General Iroh, and the room smelled of herbs and spice with an additional slight undertone of ash and the freshness of snow – it smelled of _him_.

Katara hurriedly placed the note on his comforter, lingering for a moment at the door before shutting it on her way out.

* * *

The night air was pleasurably cool, her skin failing to become hotter with impatience. She had been standing out on the balcony for only a few minutes now, so she really ought to stop panicking and thinking of the worst: _What if he doesn't come? What if I end up staying out here the whole night? What if we fight once he gets here?_ Katara's anxiety got the better of her as another minute flew by, the sky darkening to the colour of the ink she had used to write the note. She squeezed the railing once before turning around, ready to start pacing.

But Zuko stood beneath the arch, one hand in his pocket, the other loosely holding _Love Amongst the Dragons_ at his side. His expression was solemn – or empty – or furious… Either way, the intensity of that expression burnt into her, yet she found she could not look away from his golden gaze. To think she had almost forgotten this detail about him.

Her limbs unlocked and she turned around again to face the night-hooded beach, making sure her fingers were light and not shaking on the railing, wordlessly inviting him to stand next to her. And he did, the sleeve of his inner shirt brushing against her bare arm. Zuko stared straight ahead. "Need to talk about something?" Clearly he was not taking the chance of letting her acidic tongue work first.

"Yes." This time Katara would be confident – she was not one to be shy, therefore there was no need to act like it. "I want to apologize for yesterday. I didn't mean it – I was…" she drifted off, her confidence flickering off like a faulty lamp. "I was annoyed about Chan and Ruan-something, is all. I took it out on you. I'm sorry." _And I didn't want you to find out about how I feel so I came up with a stupid diversion_, she sourly finished in her mind.

To her surprise, Zuko snorted. "You still call him Ruan-something." He lifted the corner of his mouth in a cheeky smile. "And that could've been the first time you said the word 'sorry' to me."

She stuck her chin out. "I must have used it before. For example, if you tell anyone I apologized to you, I'll waterbend your sorry-"

"Truce."

She sighed. "Fine." Strangely enough, she felt as though it was not over yet. This apology was way too simple – and partly a lie, of course.

Zuko paused, glancing at her. Ah, he knew it too; nothing this simple ever happened to them. "Is there a reason you asked me to bring _Love Amongst the Dragons_?"

"Of course. Do you know where we last left off?" Katara twisted around so that she was fully facing him; Zuko did the same, leaning to his side against the railing, and gave her the thin book, opened to the page at which they had last stopped. "The Festival of Four, right?" she asked, skimming her eyes over the words.

"Yeah."

"…Wait." Katara looked up. "If the Fire Nation started a war against the other nations, why are they celebrating other elements besides firebending?"

"We weren't always enemies, you know." Zuko's eyebrow twitched. "The legend is set a few centuries ago. Back then, there was more respect, peace and kindness amongst the elements – the Festival of Four was a real celebration of all four elements, which makes the few that know about it consider that _Love Amongst the Dragons _is real. The dragons Ran and Shao exist-"

"-and so do the Sun Warriors," finished Katara. "You and Aang visited them but kept it a secret. You know that this legend could be real… So when you become Fire Lord, would you restart the Festival of Four?"

"_If_ I become Fire Lord," he corrected. "And yes, I would restart it – it's not my fault we lost respect for each other's elements over the years, but I'll still fix it."

Katara pretended to scratch her cheek as she hid her fond smile; the way he spoke promised a good leader in the end, and this made a delighted feeling bubble in her chest. This feeling would only last for a short while, though, unless she told him the truth about how she felt. She removed her hand, the smile vanished, and began to read, starting from the place she remembered.

"'_Tiro was oblivious to the sadness in his princess. He did not know that she had become close to another and treated her politely yet distantly as he usually did. It was a requirement for Tiro to treat Princess Shao as such, for the Sun Warrior Tribe was a respectful group of Firebenders. Tiro was secretly unsure of Shao's special ability which allowed her use of the Cold Fire but adored her as best as he could. He saw his princess once again at the Festival of Four. As the stars shined, the fireworks flew and people laughed with joy, Tiro told Shao of his love for her._

'_And what she could not shake off easily was the dizzy feeling of being overwhelmed after hearing Tiro's words.'"_

Katara peeked at Zuko, who was staring up at the stars in the dark night sky with his hands in his pockets, the sea air ruffling his hair. Her heart began to do that odd pounding thing that reverberated off the walls of her chest; the same odd pounding thing that occurred the day she had confronted Yon Rha – the day they had almost kissed.

"'_Shao stayed silently by Tiro's side for the rest of the festival and did not respond when he gripped her hand in the best way to show his admiration of her. The fireworks were beautiful and erupted in the shapes of ravishing flowers from around the world. Shao felt very ill when she saw Ran nearing her and Tiro; Ran did nothing but smile and greet them politely. He remained by his friend's side, occasionally including Shao in the conversation although he could sense her unease. Ran eventually departed in order to help bring more fireworks to the arena below the platform the nobles and royalty were on._

'_Kei Rin, Princess Shao's future stepmother, had watched the exchange between the youth with her feline eyes and knew of the true feelings immediately. She made an incredible effort to keep Ran as the topic of conversation between Chief Leng, Tiro and the princess herself. Shao hid her offense at Kei Rin when the aunt asked her niece of her opinion on the young man. Shao reluctantly denied having any opinion for she did not know him well; the princess felt horrible for lying about her newfound affection for Ran. Quietly refusing to insult Ran further, Shao elected to remove herself from the others' presences.'"_

Zuko did not face her anymore and was now leaning forward against the railing, further away from Katara. The waterbender frowned and stepped closer, resting her elbows on the railing beside him, and continued to read.

"'_The princess's feet carried her swiftly to a destination unknown to her; she found herself standing in a room looking onto the arena and her blue eyes were already on him. As if he had been told of her arrival, Ran lifted his eyes directly to hers. A surge went through Shao's body and she stood still inside the open room as Ran came forward through the doorway. He asked if her health was good as he usually did, to which she responded that all was well. Shao apologized profusely for acting as though she did not know him.'"_

Katara's hands got colder when she felt Zuko's golden eyes on her. Not around her or at the stars or at the floor – on her face as she read. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Oh, she should not have come closer; if only she could find a reasonable excuse to stop reading and back away…

"'_Ran held a hand to her cheek and promised her that it would rest well with him as long as she was all right. Shao smiled, happy that someone was interested in her as a person rather than as bait for mockery. She asked him if he would be there for her through these troubling times. Ran swore that he would be there for her throughout any time, and as the next round of bright fireworks shot up, Shao and Ran shared in a sweet kiss.'"_

But Katara did not want to back away, for where she was at this moment was exactly where she had secretly desired to be, truly tasting the unknown for the first time.

Her eyes drifted closed as Zuko's lips, surprisingly soft, pressed against hers. Her helplessly trembling hands dripped from the railing, fingers letting the book clutter to the ground beside her feet. She was frozen for a second or two, waiting out the possibility that this might end quickly – but there was too much meaning and emotion behind it to be merely skin-on-skin as her first kiss, abruptly taken by Aang, had been…

Zuko's hand glided up her cheek before slipping below her ear, leaving a tingling trail behind it. And although her own hands had been unable to clasp the book, they lifted by themselves and snuck around Zuko's neck as she responded to the kiss, anchoring herself closer to him. A blush crept to her cheeks; was this too forward? She was uncertain of whether he would allow it, but her fears were chased away as soon as his free arm tightened around her, pulling her against him and eliminating all space between them, _blissfully close_…

A miniscule gasp left her when he kissed her again. Yet it was not only due to the physical aspect of this glorious expression – Katara felt as though a ray of sunshine was passing through her very being, splitting the clouds of dismay and confusion and worry, and warming her from the inside out. It was indescribable, but she felt as though she were floating in the middle of a clear, sunny sky. The aching pounding of her heart was soothed, replaced by a ticklish feeling. This moment was one she might always remember for the elation dancing beneath her skin, and then his lips kissed hers for the last time and he drew back, letting their noses brush as they tried to regain control of their breath, his hand caressing her cheek.

Though… when Katara opened her eyes, his were looking distractedly to the side, and she felt his warm body stiffen. And as for the sunshine that had settled on her soul… it felt as if it had been sucked right from her, because after his body stiffened he pulled away and stepped back – recoiled, even, as if he had been in a trance the whole time – so fast that she could have lost her balance. "I'm sorry…" he said quietly, scratching his head. "That was my fault."

Recovering from the daze, she had to hold a hand to her head to clear her thoughts and brace herself. Women back home in the Southern Water Tribe would talk about their first kisses, a majority having shared it with the warriors who had left with Hakoda. They had described it as magical, different, special… This kiss was precisely how she thought her first kiss should have felt, plus it felt like the right time and the right place. It was generally right – right enough for her to wish that it had actually been her first kiss. But his simple actions in the following seconds moved her mind away from the magical, different, special feelings. When she was sure her knees were not going to melt, Katara spoke. "Yeah. Y-Yeah, you know, it actually is. It is. It is all your fault," she said more loudly. "Everything! Thanks to you, I have been so confused and uncomfortable lately. Thanks to you, I keep on questioning things and worrying and… Th-Thanks to you, nothing can ever be solved-"

"You don't think I've been confused too?" He tossed his arms skyward; oh, he was angry, but why? He was the one who had pretty much rejected her after initiating the kiss in the first place. "You don't think I find this all complicated? Katara, I have been nothing but confused and uncomfortable."

"So why don't you do something about it?" she nearly shouted, surprising them both. "Huh? You're the reason nothing can get sorted out! It's like we're stuck, Zuko, stuck in one place for a long time. And we aren't moving at all, not even if we try! Why can't we move forward, Zuko? Why do we have to be in this awkward place all the time?" There was a hot pressure building behind her eyes, her voice threatening to crack. "Why do you have to do this?" Oh, she could also ask herself… "Why do you make it so hard to have feelings for you?"

He clenched his hands into fists, his face bearing an empty, paler countenance. She waited for him to speak, but he did not… Her last words had stunned him speechless.

"Not that I'd want _to_." There it was – her voice snapped like weak ice over a pond, and she could not speak anymore. With that, Katara spun on her heel and marched away, right through the archway, her frame shaking all over.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him throw his arms up again. "Well, I don't _want_ anyone to have feelings for me – especially not you," he fumed as she sped down the corridor.

The wet pressure was still pushing against the back of her eyes. She did not bother with reeling around to retort; she had said more than enough. So had he, and if he truly meant that last statement, she imagined she would feel extremely hurt once the stupor overcoming her wore off. It was as if there was an invisible coating, a shield around her that deflected everything that came into contact with it. It was taking long for reality to fully hit her, and all she could feel was the pressure behind her eyes and her shoulder as it brushed against Sokka's.

"Hey." He smiled as she traipsed past him in the corridor outside her bedroom. As she did, his smile vanished, replaced with a serious expression. "Hey…" he said worriedly. He turned and gripped her wrist, stopping her from escaping into her room a few paces away. "Katara, what happened? You're crying."

She slipped her wrist out of her brother's grip and lifted her hand to her cheek, touching the line of moisture that was running from her eyelid to her jaw. She had not even realized that she was, in fact, crying. "Nothing happened." She started forward again, getting far enough to twist the knob and open her door.

"Katara." Sokka's voice stopped her in mid-step, and she willed herself not to lose her patience. "If you tell me, I can help. You're my little sister-"

"I know, Sokka!" Apparently she had not willed herself hard enough, her tone unnecessarily fierce. "But you can't help me, and you have to accept that you won't always be able to. Now for once, can you _please_ just leave me alone?" Without waiting for an answer, she took a purposeful stride into her room and snapped the door shut. Katara rested her back against the door, closing her eyes and massaging the bridge of her nose with the hand that was not gripping the doorknob as though it was a lifebuoy. She could feel the tears now, rolling hotly down her cheeks and being jerked off-course by stifled, intermittent sobs.

Why did she have to burst like this all the time?

She was normally patient and understanding for the most part, yet when things really got to her, she would burst out like she had now. It did not happen often until recently. She supposed that she would have to learn to control it, as the more she did it, the harder it would be to repair. Had she not just sworn to make things better? Yes, and it had been a failed attempt… But being Katara, she would strive to make the repairs and not give up. Her behaviour and emotions may have been amiss lately, but not even that would change the fact that she did not give up easily. She wet her lips, taking deep, calming breaths, the occasional sob or gasp rattling her. Sokka was her brother, and it was unfair of her to treat him like this when he had not even the slightest idea of what had transpired; she would make sure to fix her wrongs.

Zuko had become her friend not long ago, but now she might possibly want him to be more than a friend… Maybe. It was difficult to figure out what he currently was to her. But telling each other off was not better than ignoring completely – because she did not want to. Not anymore. For him she would try the hardest to fix everything, and this time, she hoped to succeed.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading! :D **

**Now, I know you'd like to give me a piece of your mind for what just happened (i.e. yell at me, rant, run after me with pitchforks and torches)… I'd love to know your opinion. This kiss was hard for me to write – behold the second detailed kiss I have ever written! (The first detailed one I wrote is in **_**Into the Night**_**.) I hope it came out all right. Ooh, but if this one was this hard, then Chapter 18 is going to be one heck of a challenge! **

…**I've said too much. -.- Buuut if you like spoilers/hints, I haz a section on my profile specially for that! 8D Thanks again for reading! It makes SSVi happy that people actually bother. :P**


	17. Hero

**A/N: Hmm, I saw a lot of pointing fingers last chapter – some at Katara, some at Zuko, and some even at me! XD But I'm not liking Katara for last chapter (mainly 'cause I know Zuko's reason for what he said – soon, you will know too). Honestly, I hate writing her like that – but after all that happened it'd be out of character for her to jump up and act like nothing was wrong. This chapter, however, is when she'll probably finally get off her (hypothetical) period! Yes!**

**Disclaimer: Nothing copyrighted is owned by me! **

* * *

**Chapter 17: Hero**

* * *

"Toph? Come on, talk to me…"

The girl in question sat on the three stone steps leading into the kitchen from a narrow corridor in the first storey of the house. Her chin was in both hands with her elbows digging into her thighs, back hunched over almost as horribly as her mood. She had every reason to be as irritated as she was – with the progress the neurotic waterbender was making, she might as well do the sappy speeches for both of them and get it over with. Confessions of this nature were not so hard, were they?

"Will you at least help me carry the jook to the dining room? You can have the biggest helping if you do," Katara tried.

Toph sighed. That offer secretly made her happy; it was either her or Sokka who got the biggest helping, and if someone was on her side she would doubtless have it. But she was still peeved at Katara for messing everything up! She had forced the truth out of her this morning when they got into the kitchen and since then Toph had been sulking, refusing to move out of the doorway until Katara and Zuko made up. Oh, but by staying in the doorway, Katara would not be able to leave the kitchen when she was going to talk to him civilly… _If_ she was going to talk to him civilly. Last night was meant to be 'civil', and that had turned out plain splendid from what she had heard.

Toph closed her eyes. "I'll talk to you and help you out or whatever as soon as you apologize to Zuko," she said slowly.

"Well, he didn't say the nicest things either. He said he doesn't need me to like him-"

"But you triggered it, stupid. That's why you have to make the first move to say sorry." Toph massaged her temples beneath her untidy hair, despairing at Katara's people skills – honestly, a blind girl who had never had friends until now could see this, and Katara could not? Right now, Toph was starting to consider that Katara was just being unnecessarily stubborn.

Katara sighed and put her hands on her hips. "Okay. I'll talk to him later if that's what you want."

Toph rose to her feet and flexed her fingers, making her way up the last stair and to the counter where she could sense the metal pot. "Hey, it's not just me that wants you to talk – you do too. You really expect me to believe that you're suddenly a frosty lizard that doesn't care about people's feelings?"

"No!"

"Good, 'cause I sure as heck don't." Toph planted her hands on either side of the stout pot and heaved it off of the counter, wobbling a bit before regaining her balance and making her way to the steps. "Now get a move on with the other stuff, Sugar Queen. I'm starving."

Katara smirked and watched Toph warily descend the steps and make her way along the cramped passage towards the larger main corridor. Her eyes went to the fruit bowl and the jug of juice and accompanying glasses. It was time to join the others, and the only reason that made her feel uneasy was because Zuko would be with them. Katara grimaced and untied the apron around her waist, tossing it onto the counter beside the fruit bowl. She pressed her palms against her forehead, sliding her fingers under her bangs. She wanted with all of her heart to say sorry to him, to tell him that she did not want to be like this to him anymore. It was true that things were confusing and uncomfortable, but they could fix it together.

She did not know how and when she should talk to him – leaving him another note was definitely out of the question; she suspected his usual patience with her unstable emotions had worn thinner, and this time he would not come to the proposed meeting place. "What do I do?" She let her hands slither down to cover her eyes, clenching her teeth in frustration. 'Apologize' was what she had to do. "How?" She did not know…

"How about you come out with the watermelon juice?"

Katara jumped. "Suki!"

The warrior laughed. "Calm down. Toph said you were coming with the other stuff, but you were taking long so I decided to see what's going on." She cocked her head to the side, examining Katara's face closely. "Are you okay?"

"I'm… great," Katara lied. "So, uh, can you carry the fruit out?"

"Sure." Suki took the bowl into her hands, the jewel on her Fire Nation armband _tink_ing against the ceramic surface. Shopping for Suki's Fire Nation disguise had been a lot of fun, and she now wore an outfit only slightly different to Katara's: her headdress was tiny and gold on her topknot; her breeches were slimmer, softer and up to her knees; she wore a copper collar and armbands over her sleeveless top; a light, open-fronted skirt and ribbon belt over the breeches; and soft red pumps matching the rest of her outfit covered her feet. "You're gonna have to let Sokka down, though – he thinks you're in here cooking up a storm for him."

Katara laughed unnaturally, yanked from her impromptu study of Suki's outfit. "He doesn't know what kind of storm I'm cooking up…"

Suki ignored the comment and jerked her head to the door. "Shall we?"

Katara quickly stacked the six small glasses and grabbed the juice jug, holding them as steadily as possible. "We shall."

They left the cluttered space of the kitchen; it was dully lit, as it faced the forest and the sky was heavy and overcast, promising a summer storm. Suki had to walk in front of Katara along the relatively long passage, too narrow for people to walk in pairs. As they went, Suki glanced over her shoulder at the waterbender. "What's on your mind?"

Katara chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Honestly, a lot, and I'm not even sure what."

"I'm guessing you don't wanna talk about it… But will you be fine?"

"Yeah, maybe. I… should be, if I sort myself out soon. Why? Did you speak to Sokka?"

"He kinda spoke to me," said Suki guiltily. "About last night – he doesn't mind though, thinks it's just a random mood swing. I won't force you to talk about anything… just yet," she added in a jokey tone.

Katara giggled. "Thanks."

"I'm only checking if you're fine. I can, right?" Suki darted a shifty look at her friend. "'Cause I _have_ checked, like, a few times now."

She smiled. "Of course – and hopefully everything will be back to normal soon… Aw, but I feel bad to leave you in the dark like this, Suki."

"Nah, I don't mind. Even though I really wanna know, it's all right waiting 'til you're ready." They passed through the squashed door of the passage and out into a bright, grand corridor with rich but dusty decorations and thick carpet. "See? We're not in the dark anymore."

Katara let out a chuckle as the girls arrived at the dining room, stepping through the open double doors and onto the wooden floor that had somehow maintained a polished gleam in the years since it had last been walked upon. The chance of rain was large, and so the gang had decided to move breakfast – and possibly the later meals – inside, especially since Toph disliked water whether it was falling from the sky or stored in a crater in the ground. It was admittedly amusing at times for Katara, someone who would never and could never fear water. Perhaps she might try to conquer that fear of Toph's one day, but first she had to focus on what was happening with herself and Zuko.

The waterbender placed the glasses on the long table, at which the group was occupying only one end; Aang was at the head, Sokka was on his left with a vacant chair presumably for Suki next to him, and Toph was on Aang's right with Zuko in the chair next to her. Suki placed the fruit next to the jug and glasses, and pulled out the chair next to her, gesturing for Katara to sit there. As soon as Suki settled into her own seat and glanced at Sokka, she scowled. "Sokka, what did you do with the jook?"

Ah, one half of the boy's face was coated with the lumpy porridge. "Toph did it," he claimed, pointing a finger at the earthbender and simultaneously licking some of the jook.

Everyone could not help but laugh at that. Toph leaned forward and grinned. "Why don't you go get that stuff off your face? I don't wanna have to watch you lick it all."

Sokka rose, looking bewildered. "You're meant to be blind!"

"And I still know how goofy you look. Now, Sokka…" She closed her eyes and laced her fingers together neatly. "Go… and clean yourself up!"

He grumbled. "Yes, madame." He dejectedly traipsed out of the dining room, muttering about how violated he felt that she could sense his tongue.

The others had been watching with entertained grins on their faces – even Zuko, who had a very light one. "Let's eat," said Toph.

In no time at all, the jook was in each of the waiting bowls and the watermelon juice – a drink enjoyed by most Fire Nation people in the summer – had been poured into the rounded, short glasses. Toph was threatening Aang with a spoonful of jook, Katara's bowl remained untouched as she pleaded with Toph not to throw said jook, Suki had turned red with her stifled laughter caused by the creepy smile on Toph's face, and any onlooker could have sworn that Zuko was smiling into his glass as he sipped his watermelon juice for a lengthy period. Things seemed to simmer down a bit when Toph popped the spoon into her mouth, relieving Aang and Katara and causing Suki to overflow with giggles.

Sokka then strode into the room, now cleaned up and clueless as he watched his fiancée cover her face. "Did I miss something?"

Unfortunately, he was never informed and apparently did not care too much, as he contradicted his action of cleaning up by literally face-planting himself into his bowl of jook, not looking up even as Momo buzzed into the room and hopped on his bowed head a few times. Katara watched as Aang used airbending with a single hand to lift a moonpeach and spin it over to the winged-lemur. He laughed as Momo sprung up to meet the airborne fruit and landed on Aang's shoulder as he nibbled it. The laughter was still in his eyes as he smiled delightedly at Katara; the boy looked like his energetic self again, which was good – increasingly so than the awful image Suki had painted for her on the night she got back from the mission. Now that she thought about it, she had not casually spoken to him in a long time, as they had had vigorous training sessions ever since, often taking a lot of focus and therefore silence. Maybe-

"Hey, do you guys know who this belongs to?" Sokka had finally eaten his rather large fill and was swiping his mouth with a napkin. Everyone's attention had turned to him, and Katara peered around Suki to see… But their attention was not on Sokka himself – it was on the thing Sokka held in his hand: it had a painting of a blue dragon and a red dragon, both intertwined like ribbons and rising up from the bottom of the cover; the border was scarlet with black lining and had tiny triangular gaps in it to show more of the warm caramel background, much like a window shutter and blue sky; and above the two dragons, done in black with a thick brush, was the title _Love Amongst the Dragons_.

Katara's jaw slackened, unease settling in the core of her chest. "Oh…"

Sokka's eyes went to her. "Do you know? 'Cause I was coming downstairs again and saw it out on the balcony."

Katara opened her mouth to reply, when there was the grinding of wooden chair against wooden floor and Zuko rushed out of the room, disturbed air sweeping over them. They stared after him – and soon the remaining few had to stare after Katara, as she too left her seat and hurried after Zuko, without giving an excuse and ignoring the eyes on her back, particularly the painful grey pair…

…Aang looked away from the direction in which she had gone and was the first to speak after a few moments. "Was breakfast that bad?" he mumbled.

Toph flicked his shoulder and propped her right foot on her left knee, crossing her hands behind her head, sighing and leaning back. "Shut up, Twinkle Toes," she drawled, oblivious to his discomfort.

* * *

"Zuko! Zuko, wait!"

Katara had followed him out into the courtyard, but he had been walking so fast that she barely saw a snippet of his red clothing disappearing through the gate leading into the forest. She huffed and dashed after him, wondering why he had left so suddenly. Perhaps they could talk once she cornered him – unless he was keeping going to get away from her… _No!_ She would not jump to conclusions which would ultimately result in her cowering away. There was neither time nor patience left in both of them.

This had to be done.

She tore across the stone courtyard, past the empty fountain, the great rock which was devoid of reflected colour today, the concrete stands, and finally past the iron bars of the gate. She was at the mouth of the forest, lush greenery on either side of her as she began to move forward; somehow, running felt as though it would disturb the stagnant silence around her. The forest seemed that much more imposing in the dreary light of the sky. The leaves rustled as a faint breeze twisted through them, sending an unexpected shiver down her spine, her bare shoulders shuddering. Her sandals crunched on the sand and gravel as she made herself move faster – until, after a minute of walking, she came to a gouged streak in the sand, made as though Zuko had been going too fast and abruptly decided to slow down and charge into the woods, like a horse-drawn chariot veering off its original path.

Maybe he had done just that. Katara was not taking the chance of continuing on the main path. She gulped and took the first of many steps to the right, and was instantly sucked in by the dense brush. On and on she advanced, for a forest was not enough to scare her – neither was the man who murdered her mother, and neither was the firebender whose reaction she craved to see.

She had tried to rehearse the right words a while ago, playing them over and over in her mind as some sort of preparation. But not this time – she kept her mind blank and focused on keeping in a constant direction. She reasoned that she would know the words when the time came, and this was the time. She was certain of it. Katara whipped a branch out of her way and found herself in a tiny clearing, more so than the one on Rongyan Shui; in fact, it was about the same size as Appa.

"I was hoping you'd follow me."

Katara had reasoned correctly; the words were literally pushing and shoving to climb off the tip of her tongue, and she was willing to oblige. Zuko stood a short way in front, his back facing her, shoulders moving up and down as he breathed deeply. She took a step into the little space, wanting him to hear her out first before he – possibly – let her down. "Why?" she asked, attempting to keep the conversation at a natural, unhurried pace.

"I think it's obvious that we need to talk about this." His response was quiet and without emotion; he was holding something back, but that would not stop her what with the courage zipping through her veins. "For real."

Katara felt her own shoulders move when she took in a deep breath. This was what the natural pace had become; she was ready to tell him. "I know, and I want to go first." She waited for any objection, and when there was none, she continued. "Zuko… I've been frustrating. I have been stubborn, childish, unstable, and unbearable.

"And you… You've been so patient with me, helping me when I needed help the most, putting up with me even though… even though I haven't given you a reason to." She realized her tone was no longer the initial decisive, prim one… It was somewhat _beseeching_. She took a deep breath so as to even it out, a soft voice leaving her lips, more emotional than his previous one. "But what I'm saying is that I don't want you to be the only one trying to make this work." She looked up at him and hugged her elbows, her eyes highlighted by sudden moisture. "I want to, as well."

"Katara…"

She swallowed. "I need to tell you-" she broke off, deciding to start elsewhere. "I fully realized this yesterday, when we kissed. Before, I was afraid that it would be wrong, that I would regret it. But I don't; when we kissed, i-it felt right… It was… perfect." She blushed and averted her gaze. "I found myself hoping that… um… Well, I wouldn't mind if it happened again." She closed her eyes, her face burning.

Now he began to sound more desperate, the coldness slipping away. "But I thought you said-"

"I know what I said," she interrupted him softly. The last thing she wanted was for him to be confused… and say something out of place in that confusion. "And some of it was kind of true, I guess – you do make me question things, but I don't mind. I like that you and I challenge each other, sometimes when we don't even know we're doing it. It's practically part of what makes our relationship exciting… And that other part was true back then – you did make things harder and more confusing, but I realized that it was me, too. I know that we don't always get along-"

"That's not it, Katara-"

She had to finish; he was starting to sound likely to turn her away without hearing her full story. She was being forward, sure, but perhaps that was what was needed to progress things. "I know I haven't given you a reason to even like me as a friend, but I do want to try something more – only if you want to, of course-"

"That's not it!" he half-shouted, whirling around to face her, making her flinch. "I would take you any day – really, I would. Who wouldn't want to? You're Katara – you've helped me and healed me in more ways than you know." He inched forward, his face stressed and his voice fierce. "It was all fine that you accepted me, but the fact that you could do that for someone who has endangered and ruined you and your loved ones' lives… It's amazing, Katara, it's truly wonderful. No one has ever done that for me before, except my uncle, and look at what happened to him because of me!" She saw the raw emotions in his eyes, the pain of years reflected within, his voice cracking and rising slightly as those emotions gripped it more intensely. "You're a sparkling, inspiring girl! You make me want to fix everything that went wrong with me!

"If you – or anyone – get remotely close to me, bad things will happen… all because of the consequences…" He stood there panting for a moment, staring at a frozen Katara as though he were looking right into her soul. "Consequences…" He wet his lips and ran a hand through his hair, beads of sweat forming on his creased brow. "There are too many consequences. I can't tarnish and ruin your life because of my mistakes and burdens. Not ever," he whispered, turning away from her.

A single tear slipped from Katara's eye, sliding down her cheek; she still spoke quietly, but firmer, as soon as the tear fell from her jaw. "Have you been listening to a thing I said? I don't care what consequences come with you, Zuko. Isn't that obvious? I don't care if you're not perfect, because I'm definitely not. I don't care about the bad things you've done, because besides making up for it now, you're a good person. You just need someone to accept you no matter what the consequences are." She approached his back, his breathing significantly calmer. "And you have me, your uncle, and all of us."

Zuko sank to his knees on the grass, worn out after revealing his innermost insecurity to her – after having it removed from him… after someone saving him from it after so long… He felt an overwhelming relief at this moment, his posture slumped and lazy. He… was free. "I'm sorry," he said. "About what just happened. I was… harsh."

She knelt on one knee at his right, and without a care threw her comforting arms around his shoulders, pulling him into an embrace which he returned as best as he could. She was not trying to force him; she was reassuring him, acknowledging that all was well between them – at last. "It's all right." She meant it, too.

He gave a grave expression, shutting his eyes. "Still, Katara, I promise I won't let any of my mistakes touch you – _any_ of you. I promise I'll protect you."

"Oh…" Unconsciously, her hand lifted and caressed his scarred cheek, her slim fingers drifting like feathers to rest there. His deep frown instantly melted, and he did not recoil but instead leaned into her touch, eyes opening weakly. Faint red crept back to her cheeks as she made a reply. "A-At least let me do the same."

He let out a breathless chuckle. "Maybe…"

She sighed as she kept another tear from bubbling over; due to how they were kneeling, her face was slightly higher than but close to his, so he would surely feel the tear if it fell. But the joyful Katara was unable to keep from smiling down at him. "I think we might call it a deal."

He allowed his eyes to close again, peacefully, beneath her cool fingertips. "I think so, too."

* * *

**A/N:**

***happyhappyhappy* I'm sorry if you found this too fluffy, but come on, it was bound to happen. :P Just let them (and me) be happy? **

**I know, I know, you're probably sitting there thinking, "What the hell? SSVi just wrote something that spells happiness for Zuko and Katara? OMG the world is going to end like right now." Well… I suppose this happiness lasts quite a long time before – oh, caught myself there. Can't have too many spoilers, can I? XD**

**Thank you so much for reading! And I also appreciate your reviews, alerts etc.! I hope you enjoy the… ahem, **_**interesting**_** Chapter 18. ;) **


	18. A New Chapter

**A/N: Greetings, children! 8D Been a while, ne? Yeah, it was exam time again. Buuut… it's over! We're on vacation, in fact. You might've guessed that, you know, since I've updated. Anyway, without hassling you any further, here's the – ahem – **_**interesting**_** Chapter 18! Oh, and as for the chapter title, it has a lot of puns (as you can see/will be seeing). I love puns **_**with a passion**_**… Don't you? :3**

**Disclaimer: Le copyrighted bits aren't mine.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: A New Chapter**

* * *

The morning before had seemed like such a long one; dull and gloomy and drawn out. But after the encounter in the forest, it seemed to whisk by, like water gushing out of a pipe after being unclogged. The weather was not extremely perfect – clouds were still flocked around the island, but the sun would shyly water through in certain places, making the sky look as though it were a dream.

"And I know it sounds mean, but their faces were pretty funny when we got back," Katara was saying. "I don't think they saw it coming."

"What I saw coming was that big stick getting caught in your hair." Zuko snorted. "Why does that always happen to you?"

"It's only been happening of recent," said Katara with a sniff.

Zuko chuckled. A few minutes ago he had met Katara at her bedroom, and they were now leaning against the wall on either side of the window, conversing about the events after their interlude in the forest. It might have been quite amusing – to see Katara and Zuko shuffle into the room; the latter looking as though his fortune had been told to him by a travelling cloud angel, and the former looking as though someone had made off with her favourite princess doll and she had followed them through the forest to no victory… Well, there could not be another explanation for why Katara's eyes were moistened with unshed tears and a branch was tangled in her hair like a primitive earthbender. It was not as if something of importance could have happened…

But alas, the other four members of Team Avatar had no idea.

Katara frowned momentarily and glanced out of the window for the second time since Zuko arrived. "Say, have you ever been out there?"

"Out where? You mean on the rock?" He followed her gaze. "I have a couple times, but it's not as interesting as it looks."

"I don't know how I can go on," she said flatly before smirking at his deadpan expression. "I was talking about the awning."

"That too, and I almost always got into trouble for it. Wait… didn't I tell you this a while ago?"

"I think so." Katara shrugged and smiled. "Either way, I think I've found the perfect place to carry on." Addressing Zuko's puzzled look, she stretched behind herself and plucked _Love Amongst the Dragons_ from its place atop her dresser. Immediately, Zuko's look became a knowing one and he allowed her to press the thin book into his hands. "It's your turn," she reminded him.

"Ah…" He brushed his hand over the smooth paint of the cover. "So you wanna read out there?" He looked up to find Katara with her hands already braced against the window frame, arms rigid and knees bent in preparation for boosting onto the ledge. Zuko started, flinging the book back onto the dresser. "Katara!" He grabbed her shoulder, holding her steady. "You can't just jump out the window while I'm not paying attention."

She straightened to her full height and looked over her shoulder, eyes travelling along his tensed arm and onto his serious face. "I'm not going to get hurt," she assured him. "And in case you haven't noticed, I'm a master waterbender."

"Well, yeah…" He nodded to himself. "But it isn't exactly something your brother would let you do, is it?"

"Maybe it isn't – but Sokka doesn't even know about this." She pursed her lips. "For the record, if we're going to be… _involved_, then you can't act like my brother."

"Because it's weird, yes." He sighed. "Still, if we're gonna do this right, I have to at least not break your brother's rules."

"So nothing that would make my dad send the Unagi after you?"

He quirked a corner of his mouth. "Exactly. Now, let me go first and then you follow. Can we compromise?"

Katara let him turn her around by the shoulder to face him – and she swallowed down a squeak when she realized that he was standing only a few inches from her, enough for his breath to stir the front of her hair. Her eyes had met his, but now they refused to move away. For a moment they stood there, close, gazing at one another. Her heart sounded distant as it pumped away inside her chest – going by that feeling, experience said he was about to kiss her again… That thought made her blink, breaking the connection. "We can." She patted his arm twice before slipping out of his way. Ever since yesterday, they had run into lingering situations like this more than once – situations where they seemed to go quiet for a few moments, lost in a tender silence, only noticing each other…

He cleared his throat. "Right then."

Agilely, Zuko boosted himself out of the window in a swift move without touching the window ledge, only a light _thump_ sounding as he landed on the awning. He tapped his boots in a few places, taking some steps forward before declaring the awning stable after years since he had last climbed onto it. Katara passed him the book before deciding on a simpler way of getting out; she swung a leg over the ledge and pushed off from the bedroom floor with the other, touching down on the awning.

"I thought you were jumping out," he commented snidely.

She folded her arms. "I don't think _Sokka_ will like it if I show off."

"He isn't the only one. We've been known to share similar sentiments."

Katara stuck her tongue out at him.

The awning, stretching along the sides of the house that enclosed the courtyard and therefore hanging over the concrete stands, was more than strong enough to support the both of them. Glancing around, it proved to be an ideal hiding place where they could settle down while they savored their old activity of reading; for lack of anything better to do since today was proclaimed a "free day" by the gang, Katara had suggested continuing with the book, eager to hear more about the princess of the Sun Warrior Tribe.

And so Zuko and Katara sidled along the red corrugated metal surface until a few paces away from the window. Zuko gestured for them to lie down, backs pressed against the sun-warmed ridges of the awning – but in a way, they were also standing up; the awning rose in a slant from the wall of the main house, peaking at a point before dipping downwards, fully forming shelter for the concrete stands below. This meant that their feet were planted against the wall of the house, doing a bit to support them and preventing them from slinking down in an uncomfortable muddle. Also, due to their heights and the rigidity with which they held themselves up, their heads were poking out slightly from behind the ornate peak of the awning.

Zuko, lying closest to the window, flipped open the book. Katara, meanwhile, lay with her hands neatly on her smooth abdomen, hair sprawled out behind her as she stared up at the sky, patiently waiting for Zuko to begin. He glanced at her and turned onto his side to face her, right arm pressed on the awning beneath him with the hand jutting out to just barely hold the book open between them. He thumbed over a few pages before arriving at the one they had stopped at.

"I think we remember what happened last," he said.

Katara's fingers, resting on her stomach, fidgeted awkwardly. "A little too well – no offense," she added quickly.

"You just spared me a dagger to the heart."

"I'm glad to know you cared that much."

"If I didn't care, would I really let you wield the dagger in the first place?" he challenged.

Katara pursed her lips, eyes fixed on the wall as she tried to think of a retort. She failed. "Fine, you win."

"Excellent." He smiled sweetly. "Quickly recapping: magical festival of epic proportions, awkwardness with evil aunt-slash-stepmother, dusty fireworks room, making out and whatnot under the fireworks… Okay, that's about it. Something bad should happen about now – I can feel it."

Katara laughed. "Your attitude touches my soul."

Zuko could not help letting the corners of his mouth lift in a slight smile; he had been doing this a lot since yesterday. It felt surprisingly good to smile so much, and genuinely, too. He stared down at the neatly swerving words printed on the yellowed parchment, unconsciously drifting his left hand – the hand not holding up the book – over Katara's cheek. It was flawless and soft and when she blushed it would heat up under his touch; he did not know until recently how delightful he found that. Ah, but there were many things neither of them knew. And that was why it was such a wonderful experience to learn them.

"'_The days following the Festival of Four were splendid. Ran and Princess Shao spent more and more time with one another. They learned of their interests, their thoughts, their likings and habits and opinions… Ran spoke of his background; his father who travelled the world and his quiet life as a simple Firebender while he secretly yearned to travel with his father. Shao spoke of her power, the Cold Fire, and how it deprived her of a mother and lessened her confidence – but she also spoke of her passions and her dreams, unwittingly moving Ran's soul. He promised that he would take her with him when he travelled and she would never again have to worry about the Cold Fire._

'_One day the princess and the common man were pacing on the shaded cobblestones of the Serene Courtyard. As they passed beneath a looming cherry blossom tree, Ran took her hand in his. Shao offered him a lovely smile that reached her eyes. It was this calm spring day that Ran confessed his deep love for her. The elated Shao responded in the like with the strongest earnest in her life. As loose petals drifted around them, Ran and Shao showed their love for each other with a meaningful kiss._'"

Katara screwed her mouth to the side as he read this last verse; there was an odd tug at her mind as he finished. If she were to put it into words, she would say that she had begun to notice something about the book – how Princess Shao's encounters were somewhat like her own. In the beginning, she had taken a definite liking to Shao, feeling a kinship of sorts. But now that she looked at it… her relationship with Zuko had played out in a vaguely similar way. And if Zuko's joke – about something bad happening to Ran and Shao – was true…

"'_There was a bridge beside the courtyard that connected the two turrets at each end of it. Unbeknownst to the two lovers there was a person who had been walking across this bridge and had paused after seeing them. This person was Tiro, the future husband of the princess. Gentle-hearted, Tiro felt sadness rather than anger and rushed off._'"

…then what if that meant something bad was about to happen to Katara and Zuko? A part of Katara was yelling that she was crazy and overreacting, and perhaps she was, but there was another part of her that was growing in its apprehension. The words of the book seemed to echo in her mind as a million questions zipped by: What if they were unknowingly hurting somebody by doing this? Was their relationship really meant to be, especially if it could cause trouble? And then came the question that shot an arrow of anxiety through her; Katara bit her lip and inhaled sharply.

What if they did not have a real bond and it was all just part of a fictional fantasy?

"'_Kei Rin, who was using a turret as a vantage point, feigned shock as Tiro flew past her. As Kei Rin descended the stairs and exited the turret, a cruel smile curled her lips. She strode along the corridor and stood in the entrance of the courtyard. The lovers were surprised by her sudden appearance and broke apart – but not before Kei Rin summoned the guards and ordered Ran and Shao's arrest due to treason and-_'"

"Zuko, stop."

He looked up from the book, his expression curious. "What's wrong?"

She chewed on her lip, eyes avoiding his, trying to find a way to ask the question that had struck her the hardest. "What if our… our relationship so far has only been based on this book?" she asked quietly, hoping he would not dub her insane.

"Why would you think that?" He frowned, closing the book and setting it behind him, letting it slide down to thud against the wall as he moved closer to her side. "We've been acting on our own impulses… Something bad may be happening to them, but not us. I promise." He shook his head. "Why would you think that?" he repeated softly, almost a whisper, less of a question than before.

Katara drew in a calming breath as she felt Zuko's finger trail a circle on her cheek. Her wide blue eyes were fixed on his face, but his golden eyes were watching the movement of his finger, following it as though they were performing the action themselves. As if he were touching her just by looking at her. Zuko's slender finger glided upwards, over her cheekbone, and around the oval of her eye. It crossed the bridge of her nose carefully, creeping onto her forehead, before deftly following the curve of her eyebrow; her eyes fluttered closed as she registered the tingling trail left behind by the wandering digit. His finger drifted down over her temple, then, and his fingers all came together so that his hand lightly, gently caressed her cheek. He bent down to dab a kiss on the opposite cheek, his face remaining close to hers, the tips of his hair touching her flushing skin. His breath tickled her cheek before his other fingers drew back so that only one traced the plains of her face, coasting across her smooth cheek. His finger paused as it reached the corner of her mouth, and she struggled to keep her breathing even. As if coming to a decision, his calloused, pale finger climbed up along the slant of her lip, dipping into the dent at the peak, before dropping to the other corner, and as his finger drew over the round of her bottom lip, she could not help a tiny intake of breath, her lips parting fractionally.

Her eyes only half-opened before he leaned down, slowly, to meet his lips with hers; her eyes closed contentedly. She felt his fingers slide down from her lips, over her jaw, and along the slope of her neck where they came to rest, cupping the nape of her neck. But before she could return the kiss, he pulled away, and then pressed his lips back to hers. Katara's eyebrows creased in confusion, and then he did it again, giving her another individual kiss. And then she realized that he was testing his welcome, whether she was comfortable with doing this so soon after they had resolved their problems. This realization spread over her as he continued this motion for another moment, a motion that was so much like breathing. It warmed her soul to know that he would not take advantage of her, that he would consider her comfort. And to acknowledge that his advances were welcome, she curled her arms over his shoulders and around his neck, locking him in a deep kiss.

His frame seemed to drain of tension as he kissed her tenderly, his lips as soft as they were the night they had kissed for the first time. She returned the kiss, their lips moving together in a steady motion, enjoying the little shivers that chased down her spine every so often, the heat that washed over her skin like the water she expertly controlled. But she could not control this feeling; an exhilarating, shivery feeling that sent her heartbeat racing as if for a prize.

Zuko's hand, marginally scarred, now sunk from her neck to settle on the bare skin of her waist, bringing them closer together; the more delicate feelings enclosed inside her chest were suddenly heightened to a roaring fire, as if Zuko had sent a blast of flames through her body just by that single action. She could not put a name to it, but it seemed to only add to the feelings of exhilaration. She sighed, feeling her body against his; sensing his heart hammering in his chest. He was balanced on his free elbow which dug into the hard metal of the awning, leaning over her so that the weight of his body was not pressing her down. He did not find his current position uncomfortable, though, did not even consider any uncomfortable feelings he might have had. The only feeling that mattered… was this jubilant one.

But Katara was being consumed by the fire, her legs feeling as if they were melting into thin air; she felt herself sinking lower on the awning, unable to support herself, and then Zuko released her from the kiss. For a second or two, they breathed heavily, trying to keep up with their racing pulses. He nuzzled her cheek with his scarred one before pulling back to look into her hazy eyes, and she felt hypnotized by his intense gold until she found her lips captured by his once more.

This time, his hold on her waist tightened, and with a jolt that made her gasp, she felt him secure his leg against hers so as to support her. The kiss had been taken to a new level, a new facet of fervor. Her fingers slipped into Zuko's thin, black hair, winding between the strands, nails dragging lightly across his scalp as she kissed him affectionately, lips grazing the space between his. A sigh escaped from his throat, and his hand slid from her waist and over the small of her back, smoothing over the toned contours and drawing her to him even closer than before – if it were possible. And then she could not help a whimper, for his tongue flickered lightly against her bottom lip. She shut her eyes tighter and timidly parted her lips with a little sigh, feeling a new rush as their mouths molded together, cheeks flushed, bodies tingling. Her hands slid from his hair, over his broad shoulders, down to clasp the fabric over his muscled chest, now heaving with each breath he took-

_Bang, bang, bang!_

"Katara! Katara, are you in there?" Sokka's voice floated from behind Katara's door, which he had been hammering on for a period unknown by her.

Katara's eyes sprung open and she felt as if she had been yanked from a pleasant dream. Her shaking hands, at Zuko's chest, now pushed against him, forcing him away even though she secretly did not want to. "…How long was he there?" she asked no one in particular, and clambered over a dazed Zuko, scuttling awkwardly along the wall back to her window. Halfway through climbing in, she said rapidly, "Hide or something, in case he feels like… looking out the window… or something." Zuko nodded absently as she boosted through the window, landing lightly on the floor just as the door was thrown open.

"Yes?" she demanded, trying to act neutral as her brother stalked inside.

Sokka folded his arms over his chest, frowning. "Why weren't you answering?"

"Seriously, Sokka, what is the matter with you? I wasn't in danger inside my own bedroom."

"So what _were_ you doing that you didn't hear me?"

She swallowed, thinking of the best lie she could. "I… was fixing my hair," she said in a high-pitched voice. "D-Didn't you hear me yell – that I needed a few minutes?"

"No." A moment of silence, and Sokka smacked his palm to his forehead. "You know what? Never mind. I just came to tell you that since we're not doing anything Comet-related today, we're going down to the beach instead, and it is your duty to come."

Katara raised her eyebrows in amusement. "My _duty_?"

"Mmm." Sokka gave a tight bow. "That is all." And before he left the room, he said, "That's not very good, by the way."

She started. "Huh?" _He saw Zuko and me?_

"Your hair. You said you're fixing it, and quite frankly, it's a tragic mess."

"Oh, right…"

"I'll see you down at the beach, then," he said with a bright smile, making his exit.

She exhaled in relief before turning around, thankful that no one had seen them, and also wondering what she and Zuko were going to do now that they had… kissed in such a way. She felt discomfort prickling inside her at having to resume it, for what had made it so thrilling was that it was spontaneous. It would be false, boring and not the same if they simply carried on. But upon ducking her head out the window, she found that it would not be a problem.

Zuko was gone – along with her earlier unsure thoughts – and only _Love Amongst the Dragons_ was slumped against the wall of the house.

* * *

Katara wriggled her toes in the moist, pale sand of the Fire Lord's private beach. She smiled as cold blue water crept up the shore and just barely licked at her feet before sliding back to meet the rest of the ocean. They had all dressed to suit the beach theme, mostly substituting proper swimwear with underclothing. Katara chuckled as she heard Sokka teasing Zuko about his normal swim shorts and matching robe.

"It's not my fault – the stuff was sitting right there when I was packing my bag. I just grabbed it and stuffed it in," claimed Zuko.

"Still, did you have to bring this adorable, well-matching Fire Nation robe?" Sokka bit back a laugh as Zuko fumed.

"I _am_ Fire Nation! Of course I have adorable, well-matching Fire Nation robes!" yelled the firebender, throwing his arms skyward. Then he froze like that, everyone turning their eyes on him, as he realized what he had just said. "Ugh, forget it." He passed a hand over his face and in one neat move swept the robe from his shoulders and tossed it to the side.

Katara quickly turned away to hide her blush, eyes fixed on the lapping water in front of her. There was a gap in the clouds now, the sun and a nice, large patch of blue sky shining down on the seawater. A breeze blew over the shore, lifting her hair from her face and deepening the scent of salt in her nose. She wrung her fingers together, having thought of the perfect beach activity she was going to do today. Before she could begin, she tossed a look over her shoulder at the other members of Team Avatar. Aang and Toph had started building sand sculptures, Sokka had returned from a short swim and was eyeing a lounging Suki as he built up the size of a mound of sand and seaweed, and Zuko sat against a rock near the steps, watching the scene and occasionally snickering. He looked up at her, having caught her staring, and gave her a subtle wink.

She clapped a hand over her mouth and turned away, bursting into a fit of laughter. Zuko being overly charming was admittedly very cute, and when she looked up again, he was trying to suppress a smile. She looked over at Aang, who had just finished an almost identical sculpture of Momo. "Aang!" she called. "Wanna come surfing with me?"

"Nah, I'm good!" he shouted. "I'm trying to beat Toph!"

"All right – good luck!" With that, she turned around and started stepping deeper into the water, feeling a tug between the submerged sand and a foot each time she lifted it.

When she was knee-deep and adjusted to the lukewarm temperature of the water, she started to move her right arm in a wide, anti-clockwise motion in front of her. After she felt some water responding to this motion, she started to move her left arm in a smaller arc, this time clockwise. A spiral started to take form on the water's wrinkled surface, before it deepened and became something of a tiny whirlpool; underwater, she could feel the suction of the cone of the whirlpool against her legs. She stopped the spinning motion with her arms and, using a slim forefinger, drew one more circle in the air before dipping it in the core of the whirlpool. Lifting her finger slowly into the air, the whirlpool stopped spinning, and after splaying out her fingers so that her open palm faced downwards, the whirlpool contracted into a large, oval plate of ice.

Pleased with her work, Katara stepped onto her makeshift surfboard, the ice cold surface against her bare feet making her shiver. Dividing her waterbending between the board and the waves, she set herself forward, skimming along the water, cutting the surface as she sped further out in order to find an ideal wave. And if there were no such waves, she would just have to use her waterbending skills to make some – and if there were great waves that were too much for her to handle, she might have to cheat a little to come out victorious. Such were the advantages of being a waterbender.

_There._ She spotted her first wave hurdling towards the shore, already building up into a monstrous height. Licking her salt-stained lips and pushing back her dampened hair, Katara dipped into a crouch and slowly steered the board in the direction that would allow her to snag onto the wave and ride it to the shore – where she planned to make a big finish to show off, of course. Katara grinned as the wave drew nearer – and suddenly she was plucked up by the wave, carried to perch on the summit, having risen to her full height but still in a position to balance out her weight on the board. Her grin widened with excitement as she used waterbending to perform a few leaps and somersaults along the length of the wave, commandeering it successfully. She dared herself to hold her breath and slip into the curtain of water, seeing the approaching beach through wavering blue vision; as she ducked out of the curtain, about to move back to the peak of the wave, she was thrown high into the air.

She let out a cry of delight, twirling the board in midair – time seemed to freeze in the few seconds that she was suspended there, and a memory came bounding before her eyes. The memory of when she and Zuko had ridden a wave that took them right to the wall of the Communication Tower, the first destination in their mission. It had been nighttime then, and they had been standing on the wave the entire time, but it was very similar to now. Water droplets hung around her, the sea seemed to churn languidly, and her fingers were spread in thin air. Katara distantly felt the board reconnect with the wave, which was rolling lower now that she was closer to the shore.

But a flurry of orange flames cut through the memory, bringing her full attention back to the present.

Katara's eyes widened as she watched Zuko talking aggressively to Aang, letting out another shot of fire as he seethed. The others were surrounding him, faces serious and drawn. A frown creased Katara's face as she watched Zuko's fingers curl, sparks faintly jumping between his fingertips. She forced the wave to speed up and as she approached, she manipulated her board of ice so that it became seawater again and melted into the wave; when Katara was delivered to the shore, she skidded into a run, not wasting any time, and dashed up to the group.

"You all knew this the whole time?" Zuko was furiously saying.

She could see that he was about to give off another bolt of fire in his anger; as soon as Katara arrived, she clamped her hand down on his wrist, holding it firmly. "_What_ is going on?" she demanded, shooting Zuko a glare. "What happened?"

"You all happily left out the fact that you weren't gonna fight until after Sozin's Comet!" Zuko's tone was that of frustration.

She scowled. "Yeah, is there a problem?"

He shook off her grip. "Of course there's a problem. You don't understand Ozai's plans – when the Comet comes, he is going to _destroy the world_."

"Hey!" Sokka thwacked Zuko's arm. "You happily left _that_ out."

"I didn't think I had to tell you – because it is obvious," said Zuko, pronouncing each word carefully. "What, you think the Fire Lord's gonna sit on his throne and enjoy a day of super hot bending and then wave the Comet goodbye?"

Toph scratched her head. "That'd be preferable, actually."

"No, because Ozai never enjoys anything aside from the oppression of others." Zuko ran a hand through his hair. "You can't wait until the Comet passes. You have to take action when it comes, while it is passing. You know why? _No smart comments_," he snapped at Toph before she could speak. "You have to act soon, otherwise… there won't be a world left to save." The words hung thickly in the air.

There were a few stunned moments following Zuko's leaden words, in which they all stared at him soberly. Aang opened his mouth, closed it and cleared his throat before attempting to speak again. "Z-Zuko, how do you know this? What are Ozai's actual plans?" he asked hoarsely, and it was easy to read the anxiety on his youthful face.

Zuko took a deep breath in preparation for the information he was about to give them, having finally gotten their minds focused on the gravity of the matter. "I'll tell you what I know – the things I heard at a war meeting while I was at the palace…"

* * *

**A/N:**

**And there you have it! **_**Interesting **_**Chapter 18! Merry Christmas, my pretties! ;D**

**Okay, so the kiss on the awning… that was the hardest thing to write, like, ever. I really hope it turned out well, because if it failed miserably… I will proceed to hide my face in shame. 'O.O On the same topic, I wanted to try something different – in most stories, they'll leave the spicy bits for the end of the chapter and cut it off all dramatically, what-happens-next sort of style. I wanted to put it at the beginning of the chapter, just to take on something new. And also, in my stories, I try to go for a more romantic-like, intense kind of thing with the kisses – I don't think I have it in me to write something ultra-sexy. :P But I did try a bit of (maybe) spice, lol. Anyway! I iz hoping you liked it. :3**

**Thanks for reading, and for your amazing reviews and alerts! They're super encouraging and I **_**really **_**appreciate them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**


	19. Sokka's Diary

**A/N: Hi there! You have arrived at Chapter 19, where the layout is going to be different. See, this one, I wrote it in parts, not mostly in one sitting like I usually do. I hope it isn't too blocky because of that… =w=**

**Also, I've published a new Zutara fic! :D It's called **_**A Vow of Faith**_** and it's a multi-chapter story, much shorter than LATD, though. It's a bit more… rugged than this story, if that makes sense? Do have a look at it if you can. (:**

**Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender and anything copyrighted related to it does not belong to me. I just love making the characters do what I want them to do, especially in the confines of my twisted mind.**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Sokka's Diary**

* * *

_Monday – Training session with the Melon Lord. Eleven Days until the Comet arrives. (More tiring than yesterday when Sparky destroyed our beach fun.)_

* * *

The fire was burning low in the grate when Sokka sauntered into a living room on the ground floor of the mansion. The erratic jumps of its orange fingers made the shadows in the room shudder. When his eyes fell upon Suki, slumped on the couch with her head thrown over the backrest and her eyes shut, he paused to gaze at her. The shadows highlighted her high cheekbones and the fullness of her lips, making him smile admiringly. Sometimes he wondered how he had become worthy of her, but just thinking of when she had confessed her love for him and when they had shared their first kiss and when she had accepted his proposal – all of those things chased away any doubtful thoughts. Now he hardly ever pondered about negative things; solace and stability with each other was strong and unfailing.

He grinned and flung himself beside Suki on the couch, startling her into waking as he stretched his legs over her lap and crossed them contentedly. "Hello, sunshine," he greeted cheerfully, flexing his arms and folding them behind his head.

Suki, meanwhile, smacked his leg irritably, rubbing her puffy eyes. "Can I help you?" she croaked.

"Hmm, not really." He shrugged.

She raised an eyebrow, waiting for a moment before speaking. "So… why did you wake me up, then?"

"Burst of ideas. You know I can't shut up about them when they come."

She chuckled knowingly. "Let's hear it."

He stared up thoughtfully at the ceiling. "You know how these are the last few days of the War?"

"At least until the Comet arrives, yeah…"

"I was thinking maybe I should keep a record of the stuff that happens every day until, uh, the end. Just to remember what it was like before." He laughed. "Who knows? Maybe it'll end up in a museum some day!"

Suki grinned helplessly; one of the things that made her love Sokka was that he was so creative, imaginative, had great dreams. And he could put them into reality if he wanted to. No, she would never tire of this; it was what made their relationship all the more interesting and exciting. "Maybe right next to a mural of us as war heroes."

"Why not? Anyway, what do you think? I like it, just saying…" He held up his hands.

Suki chewed her lip. "A record, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Of everything that happens?"

"Yup."

"Every day?"

"Pretty much."

"In your point of view?"

"Kinda, I guess."

"Sounds more like a diary to me!"

Sokka bolted upright, red smudges on his cheeks and a pout on his lips. "It is _not_ a diary! It's a record-thing!" he protested, waving his arms like propellers. "Diaries are for girls!"

Suki giggled mockingly, flicking him across the nose. "It's a glorified diary."

"Diaries are for girls," he repeated firmly. "Record-things are for manly men like me."

"If diaries are for girls, why don't you let Katara write it?"

"Because it's my idea and my diary."

Suki placed a level stare on him, waiting expectantly. He stared back, an eyebrow cocked in a frown, confused as to why she was looking at him like that. Was she expecting an apology? No, he had not said anything rude to her – in fact, she should be apologizing to him. He had envisioned a manly record-thing, not a silly diary with perfumed pages. And she had the nerve to call his record-thing a diary. Well, she may think that, but he would never call it a diary, not-

His palm met with his forehead. "I just called it a diary, didn't I?"

She stuck her nose in the air triumphantly. "Yes, you did."

He sank back down, settling his head back against the armrest. "Dang."

She gripped his hand. "I'm sorry, Sokka," she whispered.

He cracked open an eye. "Huh? Why?"

She stifled a grin, mouth twisting with the effort. "That you're about to write a girly diary."

* * *

_Tuesday – Aang's Waterbending Training. Ten Days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

The soup sloshed against the sides of the large bowl as Katara tried to set it down as carefully as she could on the table cloth between the members of Team Avatar. She heaved a sigh and straightened up, brushing light beads of moisture from her brow. She made her way around the few chairs the gang occupied and took up her customary seat beside Suki, unaware of the confused gazes on her. Primly, she nudged her chair in, looked up, and frowned.

"What?" she demanded.

Suki coughed uncomfortably. "You forgot a ladle, you know, for the soup – but it's okay! I'll get it," chirped the Kyoshi Warrior. She, along with the others, knew too well that situations like this did not happen with Katara in control. Obviously, the waterbender might get embarrassed, even though she now seemed oddly collected. "You stay right there." Suki made to get up, when Katara stopped her by laying a hand on her wrist.

"I know I left the ladle behind," said Katara in amusement. "It was on purpose."

Suki looked blank. "On purpose?"

Katara nodded, smiling wistfully. "Yes."

There was a moment of silence as they all stared at her – and she continued to nod with a touch of distance and faint amusement. Finally, a frustrated sigh ground out from between Zuko's teeth as he smacked his palms to the table, leaning forward. "There's no ladle over here, nobody wants to get it, and Sokka looks like he wants to ingest the bowl. Can we all_please_ stop being vague and get to the point?"

Katara let out a tinkling laugh. "Calm down, Sparky. Today, Aang and I had waterbending training, and this is part of one of my tests. Aang," she turned to the boy airily, "you were supposed to offer up your amazing abilities to serve the soup."

He raised an eyebrow and scratched his head. "Because I didn't offer," he began slowly, "does that mean I fail the test?"

"No. Do it anyway, or Sokka will get whatever poisoning you get from swallowing ceramic material."

"Mleh…" confirmed Sokka, a glaze coating his blue eyes as he stared longingly at the soup – unconsciously leaning closer to it – and a string of drool dangled from his mouth like a spider from a web.

Aang took a deep breath and held out his hand, wriggling his fingers; when Katara did this, her fingers looked like a creature from the sea, what with the way they gracefully twirled and curved through the air. Aang's, however, looked as if he were groping for a light switch in the dark. Spicy brown liquid at last rose in a spherical shape from the soup and, keeping his fingers rigid, he hovered the soup to Sokka, dropping it to land with a pattering sound in the bowl, a few drops slopping over the side. Aang grimaced and muttered an apology for staining the table cloth, managing to serve out to the others a tad neater.

When he was finished, Katara gave him a little clap. "Well done, pupil Aang. That was great." She shot the rest of Team Avatar a smug look. "And that's because I'm a good trainer," she declared. At this, everyone started blathering at once, arguing why they were the better master.

_Clang!_ The quarreling was interrupted when Sokka loudly set his empty bowl down, licking his lips contentedly. "By the way, guys, I'm keeping track of who trains when for these last few days."

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm keeping a record-thing of the last stuff that happens before the Comet arrives – the milestone stuff, I guess." His face dissolved into a fond smile. "I want to fully remember the last things we do together, as a team, and not just have bits of memories withering away in our heads. I don't think we'll have much time for remembering stuff like that, if we win or lose the War… And like I said to Suki, it could end up famous if people want to see what we did!" He grinned. "What do you think?"

Toph sighed and sat back in her seat. "Well, I won't have any use for it – blind, remember."

"It's still a nice gesture, though," added Katara.

Toph shrugged. "Yeah, it is… But _record-thing_, really? To me it sounds like a diary."

Sokka clenched his fists with another monstrous pout on his lips and a fierce blush on his cheeks. "It's _not_ a diary! Diaries are for girls!"

Zuko smirked. "Not necessarily, if you're gonna be writing one."

And once again, Sokka sank back in his chair, deflated, head hanging like that of a disappointed young child. "Fine, then. It's a diary," he drawled. "Happy?"

Suki rubbed his arm, smiling at the others. "As long as you're happy, Sokka."

"Hmph."

* * *

_Wednesday – Aang's Earthbending Training. Nine Days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

"'_Kei Rin, who was using a turret as a vantage point, feigned shock as Tiro flew past her. As Kei Rin descended the stairs and exited the turret, a cruel smile curled her lips. She strode along the corridor and stood in the entrance of the courtyard. The lovers were surprised by her sudden appearance and broke apart – but not before Kei Rin summoned the guards and ordered Ran and Shao's arrest due to treason and infidelity, two of the worst crimes anybody could commit in Mingxing. The guards were doubtful about seizing their princess but had Ran restrained shortly. He called out for Shao as he was whisked away, overpowered. Shao's eyes were flooded with tears when Kei Rin ordered her arrest again. Because she was a princess, the guards allowed her to walk ahead of them in dignity but she insisted on being treated the same as Ran. Kei Rin gave a frustrated sigh and ordered her to be confined to her chamber until a further decision was made._

'_The following day was a sorrowful day for Chief Leng, Ran and Princess Shao, except for a victorious Kei Rin. The Chief did not want to punish his daughter or Ran, who had seemed a good, honest young man to him – but he could not change the law in their favour as the tribespeople would be in uproar. Kei Rin had agreed that justice would have to be upheld. Today the princess and the common man were to be brought before the Dragon Council and their future determined._

'_The Council chamber was a circular space that was underground, beneath the Shinsa Grounds. The shape of a perfect circle, rows upon rows of chairs lined the wall, all the way up to the ceiling. The chamber seemed to have been carved directly from the original black rock, the entire room made of the same material. On the jagged surface intricate patterns were painted in the colour of sunlight and the ceiling's surface was covered in a brilliant array of different colours of fire, in the shape of a sun. Sconces hanging at the end of each painted ray of sunlight provided ample light in the chamber, and the rustling of cloaks and whisper of voices prevented the room from being eerie. But a sense of dread rested within Shao's heart._

'_Kei Rin smugly stepped up as a witness to the apparent act of infidelity. But the most awful moment was when she called upon the cheated Tiro as a second witness to the event in the courtyard. Ran and Shao were shocked to hear the coldness in his voice as he spoke and his refusal to meet their gazes. After one hour of debating and a reluctant nod from Chief Leng, the lovers were found guilty. Unable to hold back her tears anymore, Shao brought a hand to her mouth to muffle her quiet sob and Ran grasped her other hand tightly in his pale one. Chief Leng breathed deeply and looked down, ashamed at his decision. As the Dragon Council filed out in neat lines, four guards came to escort Ran and Princess Shao to the Shinsa Grounds, where their sentence would be carried out according to the gravity of their apparent sins._

'_Ran could not help but notice Kei Rin speaking quickly to the Council Head and handing him a gold piece.'"_

Katara heaved a sigh and snapped the book closed, leaning back against the cool wall behind her and setting the book on the floor next to her sprawled legs. Wiping away a stray hair, she angled her head to peer at Zuko beside her; his legs were drawn up with his arms resting on them, back curved slightly so that he was leaning over, eyes closed peacefully. For a moment, she gazed at him tenderly, the hair falling in his eyes sending a beat of her heart resounding through her mind. On impulse, she reached up with the hand closest to him and lifted his fringe out of the way, fingers lightly brushing the smooth skin at his brow. His unscarred eye instantly opened to look at her; she tried to cover up her surprise with a wry smile, and she withdrew her hand as he sat up straight.

"You didn't fall asleep while I was reading, did you?" she teased. "Was I that boring?"

"The opposite, actually." He flashed a lazy grin. "I was listening – your voice is soothing."

She blushed, looking at her fingers and trying to stifle a coy smile. Like anyone else thought, it was nice to be complimented once in a while. But it never pleasantly turned her cheeks red like when Zuko did it. "Maybe I should read you bedtime stories," she joked.

Zuko waved a hand. "That's okay. I already have Uncle Iroh for that."

Katara stared at him. "I know you're kidding, but I think my voice is prettier than Iroh's. Don't tell him I said that."

"Katara, how dare you say that your cool, sweet, feminine voice is better than my rumbling, gruff old uncle's? I can't imagine why you'd think that," he finished in a deadpan tone, making Katara giggle. After a light chuckle himself, he cleared his throat. "Why did you stop reading, though?"

"It sounded like it was getting to a sadder part. I'm not really in the mood." She leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing again and closing her eyes.

The room they sat in was dim, the darkwood floor covered in a light film of dust. Only one large, square window let in delicate air from outside and sunlight tinted green from all of the surrounding trees and shrubbery. Earlier on, it would have been a small lounge on the first level of the mansion, used for when one desired solitude. The wall was a wine red, with dust-choked silken wall hangings that were akin to tumbling water, and tapestries of intricately painted gardens and flowers. Four senza benches lined a circular rug near the far wall, in the direct light from the window, in front of an empty fireplace, and there were a few bookshelves at various places against the walls.

It was the perfect place to read some of the book, but the stillness of the room had penetrated Katara. She suddenly felt tired, yesterday's training session with Aang catching up to her; they had worked very hard to refine most of his moves, and by the time, he was as perfect as a genuine master – if one only saw him waterbending, they might think that he was a natural waterbender. In this noiseless room, the atmosphere mellowed down, and the warmth emanating from Zuko was comforting… She yawned, feeling herself drifting off.

Staring down at her, Zuko smiled lightly, and maneuvered his arm to curl around her, bringing her into a half-embrace. As her head settled into the crook of his neck, he rested his cheek atop her soft, chocolate brown hair. He was reminded of that peace he found in his mind whenever he was with her, his delight at being in her presence… He squeezed her arm, then, angling his head so that he could whisper in her ear.

"Katara?"

"Mmm?"

"Don't drool on me."

She chuckled sleepily. "Whatever you say…"

* * *

_Thursday – Aang's Firebending Training. Eight Days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

"I have watermelon juice!" announced Katara, proudly stepping out the front door weighed down by an armful of round, fat watermelons with straws jutting out of them.

"Shh!" hissed Sokka, waving a hand impatiently and pointing with the other at the duel occurring on the beach before them.

Aang released a thick grunt as he leaped forward and simultaneously kicked flames from his foot, hurling a stream of orange fire at a sweating Zuko. The latter audibly huffed in exhaustion as he darted forward with his arms sharpened into the shape of a knife, cutting straight through the advancing fire, not harmed in the slightest. Zuko dropped to the ground and spun his legs up three times, streaking fire, performing his signature scissor kick that sent a blast of flurrying flames at his young opponent. Aang's eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he brought his arms to cross over his chest, and just as the fire rushed to meet him, he let out a cry and threw his arms forward – powerfully deflecting the fire so that it fanned out in other directions. But he did not have time to recover, as Zuko charged at him, hurling smaller balls of fire as he ran. The airbender dodged each of them until the two finally clashed in close combat.

"Only dodge if necessary," panted Zuko. "This is firebending, not prissy airbending." He jammed Aang in the chest, leading him to stumble backwards. "Come on! I just insulted your natural element. Fight back! Let's see your anger – roar!" ordered the firebender sharply.

Before Zuko could blink again, Aang zipped forward, aided by airbending, and drove his shoulder into him, forcing him to the ground. With lightning movements Aang latched onto Zuko's wrists and flipped him onto his back, locking his wrists together as he stood over him. Drawing in a breath, a glint echoed behind Aang's eyes as he tilted his head back and shot into the sky a mighty roar, carried by a stream of furious fire. The remainder of the gang, the onlookers, could only gape in wonder at how well Aang's firebending had progressed. Why, he was hardly sweating compared to the drenched Zuko. As he settled down from his roar, he released Zuko's wrists and removed his foot from Zuko's bare back, offering him a hand to help him to his feet.

And Zuko, despite being painted in sweat, encrusted with beach sand and beaten by his pupil, gave Aang an impressed pat on the back. "Well done, student. You've made huge improvements."

Aang grinned back at him before they each brought an open palm to a fist, bowing respectfully. "Thanks," managed Aang. "Katara! Is there juice for me?"

"Of course," she said with a smile as she approached, and lifted a melon about the size of her head into his hands. He nodded thanks at her and walked off to join the others, who were chatting and sipping from the straws of their watermelons.

"And me?" Zuko reached for one of the two remaining watermelons that were balanced in her left arm, but she stepped back, dodging him. "Wha- whoa!"

Zuko jumped back with a cry as Katara, flicking her free right hand upwards, sprayed Zuko with cold water from within her waterskin. She laughed as she continued to empty out the waterskin, Zuko having stopped flailing and simply standing there stiffly, the water gushing over him. After a moment, there was no more water to irritate Zuko; he spurted water from his mouth and gave his arms a shake, upon which droplets jumped from them. He narrowed his eyes and brought his gaze to an entertained Katara – who he now noticed was clad in her original Water Tribe clothes.

He caught her chin between a finger and thumb, lifting her face so that they could glare at each other closely, faces inches away. "You're dressed Water Tribe again," he noted softly. "That why you felt like giving me a mini shower?"

She smiled sweetly. "Actually, I wanted to save you from more embarrassment of losing to Aang – he didn't even break a sweat, whereas you…" she trailed off, giving a false pout and raking her eyes over him.

"How considerate of you."

She glanced in the direction of the gang before looking again into the luminescent gold of his eyes. She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and shoved the watermelon against his chest, eliciting a strangled cough from behind his wincing lips. "Enjoy the watermelon juice," she said cheerfully, stepping back before pivoting to walk away.

He gripped the striped green fruit, nodding. "Thanks."

* * *

_Friday – Aang's Waterbending Training. Seven days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

"Yeah, that's great, Aang. Maybe curl your fingers and bend your wrist a bit more – like this." Katara laid her cool fingers on Aang's, using her own to push his into a curve before taking his wrist and gently twisting it in a circle. "Exactly like that. See if it makes a difference in the strength of the wave." Putting her hands on her hips, she observed Aang's hand action and the corresponding movement of the wave – this time, it rolled more strongly in a tighter arc, crashing down into the rest of the water with a harder impact. She nodded and smiled. "Perfect. Even better than your last try." Something on the shore in her peripheral vision was beckoning her attention, and she turned her head to see Sokka making wide arm gestures at her. She sighed and turned back to Aang. "You keep practicing that with bigger amounts of water. Sokka's calling me – I'll be back in a second, and don't let Toph interrupt you to talk about earthbending."

"Okay."

Katara trudged against the pull of the waves, the water falling away from the level of her knees as she moved further up the slant of the shore. She left the lapping recesses of the blue waves; her legs, the tights bunched up under her tunic below her thighs, shiny with the remains of water. The light breeze of the early morning kissed her moist, bare skin, and as she walked with her eyes gazing at the clear sky, she noticed that today would be a gorgeous day. They had all thought it would rain in a matter of time, but the sky had steadily cleared up. Sokka, of course, was convinced that this good weather was all a farce.

"What is it, Sokka?" she demanded, drawing closer to him.

"Zuko, get over here!" he snapped impatiently at the firebender, who was talking to Toph off to the side. Sokka shook his head and directed his words at Katara. "I came up with a great idea to combine your bending abilities – I call it duobending," he said with pride as Zuko joined them. "You, Sparky – you make a fire stream or something and aim it at Toph's boulder over there. Then you, Katara, spiral some watery goodness around the flame and make sure they both meet with the boulder at around the same time – then it goes boom!"

"Duobending?" Zuko cocked his head. "You and I can already bend lava… So what's he going on about now?"

"Some kind of reinforced bending, I think," answered Katara. "For quicker results."

"Hey, that's a really good way of explaining it." Sokka nodded slowly, impressed with his sister. "You're not such a bad thinker after all."

"Wow, thanks."

"Anytime. Okay, let's try it. Toph, are you ready with the boulder?" Sokka called.

Toph sighed and patted a large rock beside her as though it were a good friend. "What do _you_ think, Sokka?" she said in a flat tone.

"Perfect!" Sokka seemed unfazed, as he usually was when he believed in an idea. "Let rip some fire, Zuko. And remember to move quickly, Katara."

Zuko rolled his eyes and unfolded his arms from across his chest as Katara summoned water from the ocean behind them, readying herself. He brought his two fists to the level of his chest, inhaling deeply, eyes closed – and suddenly, on an exhalation of air from his lungs, he shot his right arm forward, opening the fist so that his palm was flat and gushing crackling, orange fire. At the same time that the fire left his palm, Katara strode forward, her stance molding to Zuko's, and pulled a cord of water from the floating puddle beside her, snaking it like a wire around the thick stem of fire flowing effortlessly from Zuko's palm. The water wrapped around as if racing with the fire – and with an added, final pressure from the benders, the ends of the water and fire collided with the rock. A sparking sound was given off, followed by Sokka's anticipated booming sound as the boulder was reduced to sharp, flying little pebbles.

It would suffice to say that the two were surprised.

"See?" exclaimed Sokka. "By itself, the water would just knife the rock in half – or put a hole in it. And the fire would just heat up the rock, not instantly blow it up. But combined, the fire heats up the rock fast to the point that it gets weak, and the water delivers the final blow that doesn't slice it down the middle, but makes it explode into little pebbles." He scampered forward to retrieve a pebble; the pointy projectiles had not managed to reach them across the distance.

Aang, meanwhile, had stopped practicing his wave control to watch the outcome of Sokka's experiment. He, too, was surprised that the results had been positive, in Sokka's favour. Then again, there was intelligence in him, a crazy logic behind his ideas and notions. But now, Aang's grey eyes were not staring at the smoky remains of the boulder near to the edge of the private beach. His eyes were on his friends, the waterbender and the firebender, Katara and Zuko. In apparent shock, they were still frozen in their respective stances. Zuko, with his left arm and fist drawn back as if tensing an invisible bow, his other arm jutting ahead, pin-straight. Katara was standing awfully close to Zuko, he noticed; she faced the firebender, right arm reaching behind him to suspend the puddle of water in the air, left arm spread elegantly against Zuko's rigid one, fingers splayed loftily. Their eyes ran in the same direction ahead, her head just below his ear, and in a way, their stances melded together as if in an embrace that was not quite full. It was a majestic scene to look upon, and when the water and fire had been twining together, it was even beautiful…

Aang could admit that the image was breathtaking, in fact, showing such unity and balance, the harmony of two different elemental beings… But he knew that it would not be the same if it were him standing there, providing fire for Sokka's experiment.

A low whistle snapped Aang from his ashen reverie, and he whipped his head around to find Toph facing him at the water's edge, arms crossed. "If you were earthbending at the same time, Twinkle Toes, you'd have felt the vibrations going through the earth. That was some explosion!" she finished with a grin.

"Sure was," Aang mumbled in agreement. He could not deny that it was, certainly, a great phenomenon. Rare and probably not useful in everyday bending, but great.

"You're not still drilling waterbending moves, are you? 'Cause I think it's time to work on some extra earthbending while we've got the chance."

"Katara said to carry on with this, not earthbending. Sorry, Toph." Aang gave her an innocent smile, regardless of whether she could see it.

"Your Sugar Queen's a _little_ preoccupied with that interesting experiment," Toph stated.

Aang frowned and looked over his shoulder to find all three of them laughing together, Suki rising from her seat on the steps to join in the merriment… Katara and Zuko sharing in a grin every so often. Aang looked down, confused as to why he was unsettled even though he had already accepted them. "She's not my Sugar Queen."

Toph's expression sobered for a moment, before she cleared her throat and quirked the corner of her mouth. "So, wanna earthbend, then?"

"You know," Aang began slowly, looking up, "I kinda wanna talk to you first."

She frowned but did not say another word, stepping cautiously into the water, the submerged grains of sand squelching between her toes. She grimaced, groaning. "Ugh… maybe you'd better come on land."

Aang chortled and glided over to her, taking her hand and gently giving it a tug. "Come on. It's not so bad. Technically it is land – only kinda wet."

Toph snorted. "All right…" she muttered as he began to lead her hesitantly into the water, gripping her hand tightly every time she met with and stumbled on uneven ground. She made a low, whimpering sound when the water slicked up to below her knees, seeping through her rough pants. A chuckle escaped from her when they came to a stop, her foot burying in a mound of blubbery sand. She expelled a breath, allowing Aang to release her hand as she became able to steady herself against the solemn waves.

"Is the ground solid enough for you?" Aang checked.

"Sensing is a bit fuzzy, but it's okay. Just as long as you don't pull a prank and leave me out here – otherwise, I will bury you in mud and drop raw fish on your face."

"Why is raw fish bad?"

"The mud will harden and you won't escape the attacking seagulls," she informed him pleasantly.

"Uh, y-you don't worry, I'll stay close," he blurted quickly.

Toph heaved a large sigh. "What d'you wanna talk about?"

Aang flicked his hand over the ripply surface of the water. "Katara…" he murmured. "I get the feeling that… I'm not first, you know, in her heart. I discovered this and I thought I should be able to-"

"Whoa, wait, Aang." Toph held up a hand, shutting her eyes. "You have feelings for Katara?"

"I love her, Toph," he said miserably. "At least, I think I do."

"Oh, Twinkle Toes…" She groaned, swinging her head to the side and pinching the bridge of her nose. Toph suddenly felt a deep sympathy for Aang – she knew what it was to have feelings for someone who did not share them. But she had found it in herself to move on; therefore she knew that he could too. Though what made this situation even more uncomfortable was that Toph knew that it was true Aang was not first in Katara's heart, that it was actually the core truth and not simply an impression – but mostly, she knew exactly who it was that was first. "Damn."

"But I don't know if she feels the same way," Aang went on. "I think she has feelings for someone else – someone…" he drifted off.

_Zuko._ The name hung unspoken between them. Although lacking solid earth, Toph could sense that he knew it.

He bit his lip. "But I don't know if I'm asking the right person…"

"Go on and ask, Aang."

"Is there a way to accept it for sure? Get over it for real?"

"Yes, there is," she answered honestly. "You need to find that way yourself. But, like someone once said to me, talking will help. And not just to me. It's good you're getting some opinion on this, but mainly, you need to talk to Katara herself."

A distressed look came upon Aang's face. "But how can I do that without offending her?" he pleaded desperately. "What if it never goes away and everything goes wrong?"

Toph planted her hands on his shoulders. "Listen to me. You are the most tactile little guy I know, and Katara is a strong person. She won't be upset with you because she's better than that. As long as you don't corner her and yell at her and be a nuisance, I doubt she'd get mad at you – and I doubt you'd do any of those things in the first place. Just please be sensible about this! Take it bit by bit, but don't let it bother you. In case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a War. When it comes down to that final battle, those last few moments, you can't let stuff like that influence you. You need to sort this out and be practical, Aang. I'm not trying to be mean here, but I want you to know what the best thing is for you to do right now."

"Okay." He puffed out a breath. "I'll try…"

Toph let go of his shoulders, stepping back to his side. "Look," she said uncharacteristically softly, "you and I are the youngest of Team Avatar. We're all caught up in stuff to do with each other, but we're all still kids in the end. All of us. Friends. We go through things. But hey, being the youngest two, how about we… stick up for each other? Not form a conspiracy or something but just… be there for each other, if we need it."

Aang turned to her. "We are the youngest, aren't we…?"

"I don't mind being there for you." Toph shrugged. "We can be buddies, properly. What do you say?"

Aang beamed at her, touched by her kind offer of support, no matter how simply it had been put. The meaning behind it was worth a lot. It was warming to know that he and Toph could be able to care for one another if they ever needed it, comforted him to know that someone else would be there. "Yes, Toph," he said sincerely.

She grinned and flung an arm around his shoulders, leaning casually against him as another small wave swept to the shore. "Great!"

"And thank you. I needed to hear that."

"Don't mention it – but don't get too mushy on me."

"Haha, you're one to talk."

* * *

_Saturday – Aang's Earthbending Training. Six days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

"'_Ran could not help but notice Kei Rin speaking quickly to the Council Head and handing him a gold piece._

'_The Shinsa Grounds were laid upon a wide expanse of land in Mingxing. Tribespeople had gathered on the rows of stands lining the rectangular area, and young tribesmen pounded on stout, round drums. At intervals along the path leading to a staircase that stretched up to a bridge, joining two mountains together, men with bronze skin and rich white clothing held Fire Circles between their hands. A ritual would be carried out on the bridge, in which Celestial Dragons would brand the offenders' wrists with Fire Rings, using fire from the Flame of Life as an eternal reminder of their wrongdoing, before imprisonment – or execution. Ran was ordered by the Council to ascend the steep steps and stand on one side of the bridge, facing the other. As he did so Chief Leng was repulsed by the idea of his daughter's wrists marked with Fire Rings forever, and turned to the Council Head and demanded his daughter's freedom in exchange for riches and great esteem. The Council Head declined these offerings but allowed Shao to choose freedom, shocking Kei Rin._

'_The Council turned to Shao and revoked her punishment – however, she stopped them by asking if she could be allowed to make the choice herself. Her father frowned and laughed uneasily, saying that one should not have to choose between freedom and imprisonment, as there is no choice to make. Freedom is the logical path, and to this, the other Council members agreed save for a stunned Kei Rin. Shao insisted that he not dismiss her wish for a choice, to which he reluctantly agreed._

'_The Princess was not quite sure of what she was doing – or about to do. She was torn as to whether she should give up her life and her position and her people to be a disgraced prisoner… but it would be for Ran, she contemplated. She loved him with all her heart but was unsure if he would want her to do that for him – he was always a selfless person that never wished to be a burden. And she could sense her father's silent urges to put an end to these foolish thoughts and resume her normal life. Her normal life had not always been a very happy one though it was still freedom, still a life. Oh, but how could she have a life without the one she loved? For she was more than sure she would never love another._

'_Shao turned her head to look at Ran, a solitary figure standing on the bridge, and could feel his golden eyes gazing at her across the distance, feel the gentle smile on his face that told her to choose what she felt was best. Her hair blowing about her face in the light breeze, the Princess turned back to her father, Kei Rin and the Council, a scene which symbolized her duty as a leader to her people, a duty she was born with and knew in her soul to be owed to them. She brought her blue eyes to the ground and took a step towards the group of people, the tribal drums thrumming like a pulse in the background._

'_Princess Shao swallowed. "I have made my decision."'"_

* * *

_Sunday – (Kind of, not really) training as a group. Five days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

"Okay, so we all know what we're doing?"

The gang was assembled on the beach in their swimwear, sitting cross-legged in a ring that curled around Sokka. He stood frozen with an expectant expression on his face and a hardly intimidating stick in his right hand, a clump of damp seaweed dangling off the tip of it. It was a calm morning, where the gang had decided to plan some of their strategies for the day of the Comet's arrival. Sokka had proclaimed himself the leader for the moment, marching authoritatively up and down in front of them while running off strategies.

Suki lifted a finger, speaking up. "I'm sorry. You lost me when you said we'd beat the beard off-"

"It's kinda self-explanatory, Suki," interrupted Sokka.

She cleared her throat in annoyance. "You lost me when," she repeated, "you said we'd beat the beard off of Azula."

Sokka quirked his mouth, unconsciously scratching his back with the slimy green seaweed. "I know," he finally said.

Suki frowned. "But-"

"Any more questions?" Sokka demanded loudly.

"This isn't a formal meeting," pointed out Zuko. "We can carry on the discussion later if we want."

"Never mind that," said Katara with a wince, pinching her nose between two fingers. "Sokka, I think the seaweed's gathering flies."

Toph made a popping sound with her lips. "Is that what's been stinking like vomit coming out of a sealguana's-"

"Get rid of it, please, Sokka?" said Katara.

Sokka gave her a long, flat glare before grunting and tossing the seaweed and its stick far behind them. "Happy?"

She sighed, releasing hold of her nose. "Thanks."

As a breeze brushed over them, bringing with it a note of salt, Sokka sat down, closing the circle they formed on the brown beach sand. Quite rarely, a few soundless, solemn moments then passed amongst them, as each ruminated the events during Sozin's Comet – and afterwards. All this time, they had been talking as if they would win the War for certain, without a doubt… but how were they to really know until it happened? This realization came upon them, along with a cold, growing anticipation – or apprehension? – in the pits of their stomachs.

Sokka looked up and, upon doing so, discovered that his friends had done the same, each surveying the other with messages behind their eyes – but it was a common message, known between them instantly, customary and in tandem with their bond. "Hey… You know when the War is done?" He paused as they nodded. "Let's not be strangers, okay? If the War ends in our favour or not… Let's not be people we once knew and fought alongside." He put his hand forward, in the middle of the circle, licking his lips and looking at them.

The muscles in Katara's throat tightened as she swallowed thickly, before smiling weakly and placing a slim hand atop her brother's. Suki's pale hand followed lightly, before Toph's stubby fingers clamped down on it. A small chuckle came from Zuko as he placed his rough hand on Toph's, warmth radiating from his palm and to the hands beneath. Everyone looked up at the last remaining member of their team, the person for whom most things had been done, the newly matured but still youthful boy with custard skin and blue tattoos and large grey eyes which shone with unshed tears.

His face broke out into a wide beam, and without any more hesitation, he brought his hand to theirs – his friends, who had come with him all this way.

"Whoa, what's that smell? If it's you, Sokka, we're not getting married anymore."

"Dang."

"Ugh, _Sokka_… Is the seaweed slime still on your hand? It smells awful."

"I'm sorry I couldn't meet your expectations, sis."

"Tch. _You_ haven't met many expectations-"

"Oh, lighten up, Sparky!"

"I was going to say that, regardless of having not met many expectations, you're still pretty accomplished. I'm kinda proud of you."

"…Thanks. Say, did you get the pun? _Lighten_ up?"

"I did, thanks."

"Ha, Snoozles! You found that compliment adorable, didn't you?"

"Shut up, Toph!"

"Aww, you're blushing…"

"Quit it! Stop laughing at me, Aang."

"S-Sorry, Sokka… I l-love you guys."

"We know."

* * *

_Monday – Aang's Firebending Training. Four days until the Comet arrives._

* * *

"Stronger! Why aren't you as fierce as the other day? Come _on_! You're not gonna defeat the Fire Lord with those little glow flies coming out of your palms!" bellowed Zuko savagely. "Fight!"

The sun was sinking low into the evening, but sweat still ran into Aang's eyes as he panted and struggled to produce the required flames. He did not know what had come over him, but it felt as though he were experiencing a block of some sort. Even as he mentally willed himself to do it, he found that he could not, instead giving off spasmodic, shy gushes of fire. The sweat – and something else – was burning his eyes, and the sun seemed keen to squash him flat on the sand of the shore, the solid heat suppressing his lungs. The sore haze in his eyes became too much, and every time Zuko angrily urged him on, his ears rung and his pulse pounded in humiliation. With a cry, Aang let out a tired gust of fire and slid to his knees, eyes helplessly on the ground.

He was overwhelmed.

Zuko, bewilderment driving his temper out of control, pursed his lips and passed a hand over his forehead. He took in a breath and glared off in another direction – his eyes falling upon Katara coming towards him. This time he blew out a breath, already sensing the lecture he was about to receive on tact and being sensitive towards Aang – but the time would come when she would have to let him grow up, he thought. She could not baby him like this for his entire life, and Zuko was helping with the transition into the phase – that was the firebender's reasoning he would use to justify the way they had been training this afternoon.

"Zuko," she said softly, coming to a stop beside him, facing a collapsed Aang. "You can't yell at him like that. He's nervous now that the Comet is closer – we can't strain his emotions."

"Well, I think you should let him try and hold his own for a change," said Zuko, surprised at the acid in his tone. "He hasn't been performing this entire session. If your gooey, sweet encouragement isn't working, of course I'm going to use some more force."

She pursed her lips indignantly. "I'm not trying to pamper him, if that's what you think. It's called respect, or at least kindness. He responds well to encouragement and you can't say he's like that because of me."

"I'm not saying it's your fault – but," he added as an afterthought, "maybe if you used less encouragement and more-"

"Brutality?" she interrupted, eyes narrowed in a scowl. "Harshness? I'm sorry if you don't agree, Zuko, but I won't teach Aang like how you were taught."

Zuko raised his eyebrow and lowered his head to look into her face. "That's where you're wrong. My uncle is nothing like me, especially in how he teaches. And if you think your method is better, then fine, go over there-" he pointed at the younger boy "- and make it work. I won't argue with you anymore," he said coldly and turned, walking up the sand bank to the house.

Katara sighed guiltily and took a step towards his retreating back. "Zuko-" she began, but broke off, deciding it best to leave him to himself. She should not provoke him any more if he was in such a foul mood. Perhaps she should try to console Aang… "Are you okay?" she asked, approaching him.

"Why do you like him so much?" he whispered.

She frowned. "…What do you mean?"

He looked up at her over his shoulder. "He talked to you like that, but you still have feelings for him. You do, don't you?" He turned away from her to look ahead, taking advantage of her silent shock so that he could continue. "But I don't talk to you like that. I never would. And yet, you still think of me as just a friend and him as something more?"

She swallowed, not even bothering to attempt a feeble lie. "How do you know?"

"I see how you look at each other. I see how you talk to each other. I see how you act around each other. At first, I just thought it was because you guys were getting used to life with us again after the mission, but I soon saw them there. The feelings. It's obvious, and I think Toph even knows." Aang gave a bitter chuckle. "She's blind but she can still see it."

Katara's heart stung. "Aang, you have to understand, it wasn't our intention to hurt you – or anyone. It… just happened. I didn't mean for it-"

"But the signs aren't all I saw. When I saw the signs, it wasn't confirmed. But then…"

Katara held her breath, waiting for him to say exactly what she knew he would say. _Oh no…_

He got to his feet, still facing the falling sun. "I saw you two on the roof."

Her teeth bit down, tugging at her lip, eyes slipping shut. She did not want to hear this now – she did not want to hear his disappointment in her, and now that she looked back, she recalled what he had said to her before she had gone on the mission. What she had said to him; how she had sworn that she did not have any feelings for Zuko. But that was before she knew, before she had a chance to explore what they had. It _was_ her fault for assuming nothing would ever be there, but how was she to know? She had been so certain she would not have any feelings for Zuko other than hatred, and now… Why, she could easily say that she…

Katara opened her eyes. "I'm sorry, Aang," she said sincerely. "But I do mean what I say – I didn't see it coming, but it did. And I couldn't stop it."

"I get that. These past few days, I thought I could take it all in. I even accepted it." He breathed deeply. "But now, I just realized that I need more time."

She frowned to herself. "But Aang… were you really watching us?" Tingles of embarrassment rose in her chest, not in a comical, pleasant way. She felt inadequate, ashamed of her behaviour – but she was not ashamed of having kissed Zuko. She was ashamed at how she had been seen, how her bad conduct had been seen… Was she too forward? Did Aang see her differently now?

"As soon as I saw you kiss, I ran – I had to get far from there." His voice had gotten harder, more forceful, rising in volume. "I wish I hadn't seen it. Because then I kept asking myself, is it because you can be with him like that, that you don't have feelings for me? Am I too childish to even be considered?" He spun around to face her accusingly. "I thought it was impossible that you, Katara, of all people, would want something like that in a relationship instead of pure emotion and love-"

Before she could stop it, her eyes narrowed and a storm of words ripped through her throat. "Don't pretend to understand for a _second_ what I feel for Zuko," she spat. "You're right – I'm not the type of person who wants a mainly physical relationship. And what you saw… that was as far as it ever went with him, or anyone. It was a _kiss_, Aang, a kiss. And I kissed him back _because_ I care for him and he cares for me. Our relationship isn't based on physical touch, not at all. What you saw… You can't use that to decide how our relationship works. You don't have the right."

"So if you like each other so much, why do you have to hide and pretend and lie to us?" Aang tossed his arms in the air, showing a rare fury. "Were you pretending to like me, too?"

"I've never done that! I don't want to hurt you, and I would never _pretend_ to like you. I do like you, a lot. I love you, in fact, like my own brother. Not the way you think." _Not the way you want._

"And all the undercover business? What about that?"

"We're waiting for the right time, when everyone is ready. We're almost at the end of this War, and as long as we're still in it, it's not the right time to advertise our relationship. At least, that's what I think. Besides, our relationship isn't complicated enough to affect us badly during the War." _It's not complicated _anymore_, actually._

Aang nodded slowly. "So you genuinely love him, then…"

Katara bit her lip. "Aang…"

"It's all right, really. Just give me time."

She laid a hand against her forehead, closing her eyes to block out the dying sun. "I don't want us – you and I – to stop being friends, Aang. Remember yesterday, when it was so good and normal… We can still have that. I still want that-"

He looked down. "Don't you see? That's not what _I_ wanted."

Her hand fell to her side, and she started forward. "I'm sorry-"

"Can you leave me alone for a bit?" he asked, not unkindly or intending offense, but rather sadly. "Like I said, I need some time and then… then maybe it'll be okay. I also don't want to lose what we have now for something that… we could never have. Just, please, leave me alone."

"Are you sure-"

"I need some time," he repeated, clasping his hands together and turning away to face the sunset.

Without another word, Katara went back to the beach house, dismay clouding her heart. First she had had an argument with Zuko, and now Aang… The beginnings of tears stung her eyes, but she would not allow them to well over her eyelids. She needed to keep a firm hold on things, for if she did not, she would be contradicting what she had just said – that her and Zuko's relationship was not affecting them badly during the War, and now that she thought about it, she was prone to contradicting things she had said. No, she had to keep strong, at least until it was over, but she could already feel how much their relationship had damaged things. Worse, she may have managed to crush Aang's hope and will to fight…

She pressed her lips together as she ascended the steps leading to the front door. Oh, she hoped with all her heart that he would be all right…

* * *

_Tuesday – Three days until the Comet arrives. And everything went wrong._

* * *

It might have gotten boring, staring up at the ceiling like that. Into the wood, varying patterns of fire and spirals and swooping shapes were carved, and she was not sure if they were telling a story or not. She was not able to read it, of course, what with her mind being far away yet here at the same time. Her eyes had opened of their own accord in the early hours of the morning, before the sun had time to struggle into the sky, and grey light flooded the room through the dusty glass of the window. Slowly, tufts of shadow had tucked themselves into the knots and crevices between the ceiling carvings, and as the sun crawled higher and the light grew more vivid and orange by the minute, the shadows had extended over the ceiling, stretching across in a subtle dance amongst the cleaves.

The air moved with mechanical ease in and out of her; she was in a thoughtful state, neither fully awake nor fully sleeping. Then her bedroom door burst open.

Katara jerked roughly as she was snapped out of this state, unclasping her hands from atop her abdomen and sitting up, ready to push the covers off if necessary. "Suki, what happened?"

The Kyoshi Warrior had charged into the room, panting, pacing around as if lost and panicked. She got to the window and paused, staring out in the gold light before peeling away; coming to Katara's bedside and kneeling down, gripping her hand. "So you don't know? Please, Katara, tell me you know!" she pleaded.

An expression of horror or worry or both entered Katara's face as she stared into Suki's frantic eyes. "Is everything okay?"

Suki's shoulders sagged and she released her iron grip on the waterbender's hand, rising to her full height and breathing deeply to calm down. "Oh, no… You really don't know where he is? That means…"

"Suki, what are you talking about?" Katara demanded, throwing the covers back and setting her bare feet on the floor, perching on the edge of her bed. "What's going on?"

The girl stopped, facing Katara, running her tongue over her lips slowly. "We're in a lot of trouble, Katara."

"What? Did someone discover we're here?"

"No, not like that." Suki crossed her arms gravely, somewhat calmer but still immensely distraught. "We can't find him anywhere… Aang's gone."

* * *

**A/N:**

**And that brings us to the end of lengthy Chapter 19. Sorry for the late update – there's a lotta scary stuff in the real world. :S**

**I hope you enjoyed that after such a long wait! Aside from being busy a lot, I've been pretty much uninspired and while I knew the plot and what I wanted to write, I'd just be in a different mood and put it off for later. DX But I've also had random bursts of eagerness, so here you have this chapter! (And the new story, of course. :P)**

_**Extras:**_

**- So, obviously, this isn't all in Sokka's POV. He's not being all dodge and standing off to the side watching everyone. O.O We're just zooming into snippets of the days, stuff that happened aside from what Sokka may have recorded.**

**- Notice Sokka's thoughts about his and Suki's relationship on the first diary day… Tiny bit of a contrast with the Zutara relationship, huh?**

**- When Katara and Zuko read **_**Love Amongst the Dragons**_** the second time in this chapter, it's Zuko's turn to read aloud.**

**- If you didn't notice it then, that was the first time direct speech was used in Ran and Shao's story! Yup, direct speech is only for the important-like bits. :D**

**- Omw Katara and Zuko had a little disagreement towards the end… And when she says their relationship isn't complicated anymore, it's **_**not**_** because it isn't serious. It's because it isn't uncertain and confusing and bleurgh anymore. :)**

**- Yes, that was a bit of a meltdown between Katara and Aang… and I sincerely apologize to the people that were happy because they thought Aang didn't see the Zutaraness on the roof! But we all secretly knew, though, deep down inside, that Aang saw. Remember last chapter, when Katara called him to come and surf with her, and he said no? Because he'd seen them, and was feeling uncomfortable and upset on the inside… Yeah, our little Aang isn't that stupid. And no, he didn't watch the whole thing – he's not a naughty little boy, and he already told us that he stormed away (after seeing the beginning of it). :P I also know you may have felt sorry for Aang here, but tbh, we can't always be hating on the biggest complication to our favourite ship. That's just mean. U.U**

**- Pretty please don't get all technical and scientific about the duobending thing! Blame Sokka! '-_-**

**Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! They gave me tons of encouragement. :)  
And thanks for reading! :D**


	20. Nothing Like You and I

**A/N: Oi! Aboogie snickle snickle! Eunuchy snip snip! Kudos to be awarded to anyone who knows what movie that's from. 8D **

**Now, a few things before we begin:  
I LOVE YOU ALL! :') Why? Because this story has broken 200 reviews! I'm so glad this story has come this far… so I'm plenty grateful. :DDD Thanks so much for the faves, alerts and hits!  
Next, I go away for a while, and when I come back, Fanfiction is new and different? _Whoa._  
And, is anyone else excited for Wimbledon? I know I am. :P  
Then, who else was pleased with the first season of Korra? I happen to think it was spectacular! In fact, I have my first Korra fics planned… ;)  
Also: Follow me on Tumblr! My username is _sonicci_. :D**

**Disclaimer: Nothing copyrighted is owned by me. At all. Savvy? (That was a huge hint about what the movie is.)**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Nothing Like You and I**

* * *

"All right, I think we've got everything," said Sokka, dusting off his hands and preparing to help Toph up into Appa's saddle. "Appa's well-rested, so I think we should make it to the Earth Kingdom pretty quick."

Katara listened to the others mutter agreement, while she stood facing the once again vacant beach house. The sun burned high in the noon sky, warming her back through the faded, thick material of her short plum cloak that had somehow made it through the entire War so far inside her moose-lion skin bag. A light breeze was fluttering along the beach, but it was not very cold. Still, Katara had her arms folded tightly against her abdomen as she stared ahead at the beach house. Ever since Suki had given her that unsettling awakening, they had spent the morning raking the island for signs of Aang, and had only found his footprints ominously disappearing into the seawater, with no wandering about or evidence of a struggle – just evenly spaced footprints, in one perfect line.

She had lapsed into a silence after they had found nothing else, but thankfully none of them had pestered her as to why. She would get annoyed if they did, because she did not feel as though she had the energy to speak and was quite content with no words; and she did not know the reason herself. The silence had simply come upon her without a definition for her. She could suppose that she was worried, or anxious, or angry, or sad, or guilty. But none of those things seemed specifically correct – perhaps it was a mixture of them. She did know that guilt occupied her most out of those emotions, since she was the last person to talk – or argue, rather – with Aang before his disappearance. Either way, she refused to cry about it. She secretly hoped it was not her doings that caused it, but in the end decided to be realistic about it. When they found him, she would fix things; try to make everything right between them. _If _they found him.

She felt a hand on her elbow and Zuko's familiar presence appeared beside her. "Come on," he said softly. "It's time to go now. Sokka says we might make it to the south-eastern Earth Kingdom by nightfall if we leave soon."

There was a moment of quiet that passed in which only the flapping of her cloak and the rolling of the waves could be heard. She and Zuko had not spoken that much, if at all, since their quarrel yesterday – what baffled her was that it was one on such a small scale, just a biting exchange of few words, yet they were acting as if it was huge. She did not feel uncomfortable with him, and she was not mad at him now that she thought about it… So what could possibly be the problem? But then it occurred to her that maybe, just maybe _she_ was the one holding off because of her guilt over her confrontation with Aang.

She expelled a breath and turned around, moving out of his light touch. "Okay," she muttered.

He frowned. "Katara, hey," he said, grasping her shoulder, effectively stopping her. "You aren't still mad about yesterday, are you? Because I'm not."

"I'm not mad."

When she tried to pull away, he firmed his grasp insistently. "Then what's wrong? Did I do something?"

She turned to look him in the eye, still caught by his hand, regretting what she was about to say next – just like she had that one time, when they were returning from the mission. "I need to think about our relationship. Reconsider it."

"What?" As his hand dropped to his side, his frown melted away into a look of disbelief, pure shock, and she instantly hated herself for saying that. "You can't be serious. Over such a small argument? How-"

"Zuko, I need you to trust me when I say that it's not that."

He shook his head, a bitter smile matching his tone as he brushed past her. "Whatever."

_He has no idea… _Katara continued to stare into the space where he had been standing seconds before, and finally tore her eyes away to look at the sand. Her eyes remained fixed downwards even as she hauled herself up into Appa's saddle and they were all whisked away. She wished she had told him the truth about her discomfort instead of being so ambiguous and confusing. He probably would not want to listen to her now – maybe later, when they had some time to themselves. But in the meantime, she refused to cry about it.

* * *

Sokka looked over his shoulder at the saddle behind him. "Toph, switch with me, will you?"

She sat up. "Huh? Why?"

"We need to come up with a plan and I can't do that if I'm steering Appa." When she said nothing, he whined, "Come on, it's straight flying from now."

"B-But I'm blind!" Toph spluttered, waving her arms around, so astounded by Sokka's suggestion that she could just barely use sarcasm to cover up. "Do you want me to drown us all?"

"See? You're not so bad – you know we're flying over water. Just do it for a while and listen in while you're at it."

"I'm not an acrobat, you know."

"Yeah, I do know. Just, pretty please do it?" he pleaded.

Toph sighed resignedly. "All right. But you're the psycho that gets the blame if we all bite the dust."

"Bite the ocean, you mean," pointed out Sokka smugly.

"Wow, you're so smart, Sokka. That's why you're the _man with the plan_," said Toph in a false bright tone, slowly crawling up to the front of the saddle and allowing Zuko and Sokka to steadily help her over the rim and onto Appa's head. They held her arms tightly while she settled into the soft white fur, shakily gaining balance and drawing in a deep breath. Sokka placed the reins into her hands, firming her grip on them and whispering to Appa to fly gently for her.

He perched himself on the saddle's rim and laid a hand on Toph's shoulder to level her. "You hold on and don't worry at all. I've got you," he reassured her.

"Okay… It's not _that_ bad. You're a raving lunatic, but it's not that bad…"

Sokka grinned and turned to face the others in the saddle, rummaged in his bag for a while before producing a map of the world and splayed it on the floor in front of him. Zuko, Katara and Suki gathered around, each at one side of the worn, rectangular parchment. Contrasting with how he had smoothed it out, he roughly jabbed a pointy index finger to a spot in the eastern Earth Kingdom. "That, my friends, is where we'll be landing. Sparky says that bounty hunter, June, hangs out in those parts-"

"She'll probably be in the nearest tavern," put in Zuko.

"It'll be funny seeing her again," remarked Katara in a croaking voice, recalling her and Zuko's encounter with June on Rongyan Shui, during the mission. He must have understood her comment and remembered as well, for as she lifted her eyes to glance at him, he brought his distant eyes to hers. For a moment, the question coming from Suki's mouth was blurred out, muffled by the swirl of memories ensnaring them, a wave cresting and drawing them down beneath the surface. But the flood of memories interconnected with others, eventually bringing Katara back to her unfair words before they had taken off. The flood sputtered out, staggering to a close. Katara looked at her clenched fingers. Zuko focused intently on the map.

"…Oh, so _she's_ the crazy hot huntress you mentioned to Aang?" Suki raised an eyebrow at Sokka, folding her arms.

He coughed. "You… heard… that?" he ventured cautiously.

Suki pointed at herself. "Kyoshi Warrior. I was made to spy," she said haughtily, before chuckling. "I'm only getting things straight before we meet her."

"That is, if we find her," said Zuko. "Katara and I ran into her on Rongyan Shui, the island we tracked the killer to. I'm not sure if she would've returned to the same place."

"Well, at least it's a start." Sokka licked his lips thoughtfully, tracing the outline of the Earth Kingdom. "We can pick up some information if we ask around or something."

"Hopefully the people we ask will be sober enough to answer." Zuko passed a hand through his hair. "There are a lot of loopholes in this plan, Sokka. I'm not sure about it."

Sokka chewed the inside of his cheek, frowning down at the map. A moment of this drew by, and then another, before he finally opened his mouth to speak. "I'm not totally sure about it either, but it's all we have for now. And I have a strange feeling about it – that maybe we're on the right track."

"Your instincts?" Katara smiled at him.

His gaze fell on her, his lips curling into a fond smile as he remembered when it was just him, Katara and Aang, and they were still having the early little arguments such as who would be leader. It was remarkable that they had come so far from that. "Exactly," he said proudly. "We could check at the Eastern Air Temple after that, but my gut is telling me that something is waiting for us over here."

Zuko then pulled away from his side of the map, shifting back to rest against the rim of the saddle. He leaned his head back over the edge, his eyes naturally gazing up at the clouds as they whizzed by – but this seemed to sicken him or make him dizzy, for he abruptly pressed his eyes closed. "Then that's our plan, I guess," he muttered. "Wake me up when we're there. I can tell I'm going to need the mental strength for this plan."

"Whatever, Sparky. As long as you don't wake up grumpy again," needled Sokka teasingly, but he did not go on, instead turning his attention to the others. "I'm feeling the sleep coming on, too."

Seated on Appa's head, Toph straightened up sharply. "Whoa, I hope nobody's considering leaving me up here."

"Of course not." Suki began to crawl to the front, not as comfortable with standing up in the saddle as the others would be. "I'm not sleepy at all – I'd be happy to take over."

Sokka sighed with relief, thankful that he did not have to sacrifice a nap. "Great. If anyone needs me, I'll be-"

"-dunked in a bath of drool?" suggested Katara.

"Talk to the hand," he managed between a yawn. He stayed awake long enough to help Suki bring Toph back into the saddle, and then help Suki herself onto Appa's head where she clasped firmly onto the reins and looked eagerly ahead, clearly pleased by such a wonderful sight from her new vantage point. Sokka slunk down against the saddle's rim at the front, just behind Suki. He made tapping sounds with his tongue as though he were tasting something thoroughly, as he often did before a sleep, and closed his eyes contentedly. He sighed again, settling comfortably in a curled-up, fetal position. "Suki," he mumbled dreamily, "don't fly us in the wrong direction…"

She chuckled. "I promise I won't, Sokka. I know the Earth Kingdom well – it's home, after all."

"Oh, right… I wonder if I'll move there… or if you'll move to the South Pole… When we're married, you know…"

Katara could see how Suki's pale cheeks pinked, and a grin stretched brightly across her full lips. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she said finally, but with no less delight.

"'Kay…"

Katara rolled up the map and placed it near the front of the saddle in case Suki needed it. She drew her cloak tightly around her and settled against the saddle's rim opposite Zuko, hearing a snore crack from Toph, who was sprawled out at the back of the saddle. This did not earn a reaction from Katara, who was unconsciously studying the firebender. His arms were folded across his chest, head hanging slightly over the side of the saddle, wispy hair disturbed by the racing wind amongst the clouds. Much like the day, so long ago, when they were all flying to the deserted island where they first set up camp after the Western Air Temple, she found herself looking deeply at him. But it was not with a tinge of bitterness as it had been that day. She noted how rigid his sleeping form was, how he did not have that expression of peace he usually adopted when resting – his handsome face, marred by a scar she had overlooked long ago, creased in a scowl that hardened the set of his mouth.

She had a feeling that her words had caused this.

She jerked her head off to the side, shutting her eyes not because her eyelids were heavy with sleep, but because she was angry with herself and simply could not bear to look upon what her mistake had done. How many times would she have to hurt him before she finally realized that it hurt her, too? When would she finally realize that it was time to stop this – stop running away from her feelings and bringing in other reasons to justify it? She was starting to think herself a coward… but she did not think herself particularly afraid. She was not, was she? And Aang probably did not even want to be used as the reason she had spurned Zuko. Now that she thought about it, it was a flimsy reason for this because in truth she… because her feelings for Zuko were so strong that she…

Her clenched fist rose up to her lips, pressing against them to stop the sudden trembling, and she forced herself into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Katara. Katara, wake up – _now_."

The waterbender's blue eyes opened, looking directly into Toph's celery pair and then onto an inky night as she shifted her head. Katara sat up, her joints and muscles aching from sleeping in such an awkward position. Rubbing the haze from her eyes, she glanced around to see that they were descending out of a forest of clouds, approaching an actual forest of green, thick trees. In the distance – and here she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her – Katara could vaguely see the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se. Absently, she wondered if this was really the area where they had first run into the bounty hunter. Had it been that close to Ba Sing Se? _But it happened a long time ago. I didn't even know what Ba Sing Se looked like back then._

"Sokka, why are we so close to Ba Sing Se?" she decided to ask after clearing her throat.

At some point during the journey, Sokka and Suki had switched places, and he was now expertly guiding Appa towards the ground. "Turns out, things just couldn't be smooth and easy for us at least once."

When he did not continue, Suki spoke up, attempting to appease Katara's confusion. "What Sokka means is that the coastline wasn't safe. It was almost scary how much of the Earth Kingdom the Fire Nation has occupied – they're stationed all along the coast, which we were supposed to stick to. Firebenders on this one ship only attacked, but we escaped them and had to cut across land to avoid more attacks. And, well, I guess we just wound up here. Nobody followed us."

Sokka nodded. "Zuko says it shouldn't be that far from June's area." He tugged on the reins so that Appa slowed the descent. "We're gonna set up camp now 'cause I think it's gonna rain pretty soon. Those clouds that were hanging around Ember Island were definitely blown over here – it was perfect cloud cover, though," he added matter-of-factly.

"What time is it?" asked Toph, who appeared to be casually lounging – save for her arms, which were clutching desperately to the saddle's rim.

A cup of fire leapt up from Zuko's palm, providing much-needed light, casting shadows on the angles of his face. "Around midnight," he answered, before peering over the edge of the saddle. "That seems like a good clearing we're landing in. Pretty small, but there's some sort of stone structure there."

"How can you tell?" Toph frowned.

"I don't want to brag but even if only one eye works, my eyesight's kind of brilliant and mind-blowing," he said smoothly.

"Oh sure, make fun of the blind girl," said Toph wryly.

Zuko gave a half-smile. "How can I when your feet are so much smarter than mine?"

She could not stifle a smile of her own, and shook her head in amusement. "I'm still waiting for that foot rub, by the way."

"Later, I told you."

"My fellow adventurers, we are about to touch down!" announced Sokka as Appa did a masterful curving sweep, unsettling some of the trees with a gust of air, and lowered onto the ground with the slightest of bumps – before roughly jerking the occupants of the saddle as his legs gave up, sinking into an instantly slumbering heap on the ground.

"Appa's exhausted again," said Katara worriedly. "I hope he'll recover fast this time." They knew that they could not spend a long time here, when Sozin's Comet was filling their hands even before its arrival. Even if they could not find Aang, they would have to move on and try to do as best as they could without him – but it was a chilling thought, something they hoped would not come to be.

Zuko leapt down, boots landing on what sounded like cobbles. He held up his fistful of fire, sending light crawling over the damp cobbles of a rectangular, abandoned courtyard – the remains of what seemed to be pillars at each corner were only piles of rubble heaped around stumps; and a wide, stout pagoda of thick grey stone stood at the head of the courtyard, slightly damaged by changing weather, with a few steps leading up to it and a broken carving of the Earth Kingdom symbol on its head. It must have been a village square where gatherings for a small number of residents were held, but it had clearly not been used in a long time.

"It looks safe enough," Zuko told them after walking a few paces, faint pattering noises beginning to echo around the courtyard.

"Do you think anyone can find us?" questioned Suki. "I mean, it _does _look like a square. What if it's easy for the Fire Nation to find, or what if they know it's here and do checks?"

"That's true," agreed Zuko. He opened his mouth to say something, when a resounding rip of thunder and a blade of lightning shot through the sky, piercing the air, turning the night into a few haphazard seconds of daylight. As the noise subsided and the flashing light died down, the pattering noise heightened and made itself known as the impact of raindrops against the cobbled ground.

A raindrop landed on Sokka's nose, and he screwed his eyes to stare at it as it dripped off the tip. "I… don't think we have a choice." He scrambled into the saddle to scrounge around for bags in the dark. "Come on – grab the most necessary bags and go. Appa can't move for us, remember?"

Katara gaped. "Y-You can't just leave Appa out in the rain for the whole night!"

Zuko sighed and hoisted himself up to crouch on the rim, shining light into the saddle. "He can't fit in the pagoda. We'll figure it out later." He reached for a shoulder bag, but the rain was falling so hard that the fire in his palm was wavering and fading. With a click of the tongue he urged more energy into the fire, shrugging the bag onto his shoulder with his free hand. "I can't keep up this fire for long," he said gruffly. "Just take what you can manage."

The rain was beginning to slide from the midnight clouds in sheets; his clothes were sticking to his body, hair pasted across his face as he clumsily helped Toph launch herself off the saddle. She softened her landing by sinking the ground in as though it were a spongy mattress, her shoulder bag bumping against her body, and it regained its shape as she straightened up and dashed in the direction of the pagoda. The next person out of the saddle was Katara, hair a mass of cobwebs framing her face, clasping four sleeping bags. Her tread was more careful than Toph's, jogging at a steady gait, mindful of the slippery ground; Toph had tripped a number of times, landing in a sopping mess on the muddy cobbles. Katara eventually caught up to her and linked their arms together, moving more smoothly to the pagoda.

They entered beneath the pagoda's roof with sighs of relief, dropping their bags and stretching. "Think you can remove all this water?" Toph asked, pinching her sagging sleeve, teeth chattering.

"Sure – but let's quickly go out and get some wood. We can start up a fire and keep warm. Look at how you're shivering, Toph!"

"Save the mothering for later. Let's go." Toph grinned shakily, following Katara to the edge of the trees that lay directly at the north steps of the structure.

Back at the saddle, Sokka lobbed awkwardly to the rim, weighed down by cloaks, two satchels and a sack of pots. Hiding an amused grin and rolling his eyes, Zuko snatched a satchel from Sokka and transferred it onto his shoulders. "Talk about biting off more than you can chew," he remarked. But unfortunately, Sokka's precarious balance was upset and with a yelp and flap of his arms he went tumbling over the side to land in a groaning, soaked heap.

"Sokka!" Suki called in surprise. With agility akin to that of a panther, the Kyoshi Warrior sailed through the air before Zuko could offer her a hand, and landed with a roll before braking with her knee, a grunt seeping between her teeth. A sleeping bag and Katara's moose-lion skin bag fell to the ground in a clutter, most of the contents spilling out as Suki gently tried to help up a pained Sokka. Zuko, who had lowered himself carefully to the ground, paused to assist them but she stopped him. "Go find a way to get Appa to shelter," she said above the noise of the coursing rain.

"But he won't fit under the pagoda – that's why we got off like this."

Suki pursed her lips. "At least try getting him closer, or in the trees or something."

Nodding, the firebender moved before Appa's face and began to awkwardly nudge the bison with his free hand. In the shuddering light that was dying between Zuko's fingers, Suki heaved Sokka into a sitting position. "Ugh… my arm…" he groaned. Frowning, she moved the strap of the satchel on his left arm to find a bleeding gash in his glistening hazel skin.

"Come on, you idiot," she said playfully to conceal her wince. "Let's get out of the rain."

He laughed. "Really knocked the wind out of me. But we all know I'm a fighter." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly, bracing one hand at his back and the other on his chest, helping him to stand up stiffly. Dazed, he took a step forward and stumbled, arm clutching firmly around Suki's shoulders. And then suddenly – and quite impulsively – he leaned in towards Suki, lips pouted slightly, but was met with rain-charged air when she moved back with a grin and a raised eyebrow. "Sorry. Spur of the moment and instinct and all that jazz," he said sheepishly.

"Your instincts are wrong about this being the right time, Sokka dear." She patted him on the back. "I hope your gut feeling about coming here was right, in that case."

"Oi! I get that the rain gives you an opportunity for a cute couple moment, but it's freezing and I need some help here!" called a flushed Zuko who, with a boot up against Appa's nose and arms knotted in the reins, was having quite a bit of trouble rousing the flying bison.

"My bad!" Sokka gave Suki's shoulders a squeeze before scrambling up to Zuko.

Meanwhile, Suki hurriedly bent down to gather the sleeping bag as well as the fallen items of Katara's moose-lion skin bag. "Damn it…" she muttered when she spotted more belongings scattered by Appa's foot. She must have emptied the entire contents onto the slimy floor. Quickly crawling to Appa's side in the soggy darkness, Suki discovered a comb, a scroll and a sopping piece of parchment; she snatched them up and pushed to her feet, staggering blindly to where the bag was. She was able to shove two of the items inside, before a sudden gust of fire from Zuko startled her but provided enough light to see the Bei Fong insignia on the scroll.

It was enough to pique her curiosity, a frown creasing her brow. She slid it into her belt and darted off to the pagoda, guided by the bright fire that had been started by Katara and Toph.

* * *

Ten minutes later, a dry Suki, Toph and Katara were sitting dolefully beneath the pagoda around a pot of glowing fire, after their attempts to help the boys were dismissed, only allowed to take the bags from them – perhaps to protect the stubborn pride most males tried to maintain. Luckily, Sokka had a rather clever, if not strange, idea which involved the use of Zuko's swords, lifting Appa's tail and covering ears when a loud bison roar rumbled like the thunder around them. The two boys triumphantly led Appa to the pagoda, making him go in through the north side, far enough inside so that his shaggy head divided the pagoda in two and the rest of his body was sheltered by the trees behind.

Camp was set up – sleeping bags were unrolled, clothes and bags and bison fur removed of water, and left-overs heated and consumed. On the one side of Appa, they were about to settle down on their sleeping bags probably not to sleep, but to relax their stiff bodies after the rushed escapade in the rain. The water was removed from their clothes, but a bitter cold still lingered on them, stiffening their joints and only tingeing a sleepy feeling in them. But Katara, typically unable to rest when there was something left to be done, decided to take the responsibility of cleaning up the plates after healing Sokka. She scooped them up in a stack and went around Appa's slumbering head to the western strip of pagoda separate from the sleeping area.

On this side in her own bubble of quiet, out of sight of the other members, Katara sat on the steps, cleaning the last plate when she turned around to see Zuko send a stream of fire beside the fur of Appa's cheek; excess droplets of moisture bounced off. Raising an eyebrow, she set the plate on top of the clean stack next to her. "What are you doing?" she asked before she could remember that they were not exactly in the best state of talking to each other.

"You missed a spot when you were getting rid of the water," he answered, turning to face her.

Her eyebrow relaxed as she realized that this was an excuse, a safe way of letting her know that he wanted to talk. For a moment they stared at one another, a silence passing between them that was long enough to be uncomfortable. She hated feeling uncomfortable around Zuko – she had once before, and did not want to again after things had become so good. His hair was slightly mussed, she noticed, and remembered with a lagging feeling that she had once run her fingers through it… She sucked in a breath, jamming those thoughts away in favour of more important ones, and stepped forward, not breaking eye contact with him. _He deserves an explanation – a good one, especially after I've been so unfair to him._ "Look, Zuko, I-"

"_Katara_!"

She broke off upon hearing the enraged sound, gaze wrenching away. It was clearly Toph's voice, but why? She and Katara were progressing fairly well with each other, and there was no reason for her to be mad… Was there? "Coming!" responded Katara, glancing apologetically at Zuko – but he was also looking in the direction of the other members. With dismay, she realized the moment had passed. Letting him lead the way, they walked around Appa to meet the others. Katara folded her arms, remaining where she was whereas Zuko went to his sleeping bag. "What is it?"

But something was rather peculiar about the picture before her.

Suki was sitting cheerlessly on her sleeping bag, head down as she refused to meet Katara's eyes, and Sokka stood staunchly beside her. That was the strangest thing about this tense scene, for his face was stony and serious, nothing in his expression alluding to a jest. Toph stood at the head of this, closest to Katara, a look of ire on her pale face and fists clenched tightly as though it were taking all she had to contain herself. Then the waterbender noticed it – the official-looking parchment in Sokka's hand. And it was not any old parchment; the golden Bei Fong insignia shone out at her mockingly as her face began to heat up with the realization. _No…_

Toph let her breath hiss out between her teeth. "So when were you planning on telling me about this?" she demanded sharply.

Katara's jaw had slackened. Back on Rongyan Shui, after encountering June, she and Zuko had taken a map from the bounty-hunter along with the letter. Why, she still remembered the morning she read it out loud, expressing how much it had aggravated her and the incomprehensible stupidity of Toph's parents; they had, after all, attempted to force her into returning by threatening to revoke her rights to be the Bei Fong heiress. But it was Katara who was stupid for forgetting something so important. In that split-second, she quickly grew angry with herself – how could she have _forgotten_? Had it not been in her bag? Losing it but keeping it in mind would have been much better than completely forgetting. "I… Toph, I am so sorry," she began, trying to convey how deep the meaning behind her words was. "I knew it was really important but I don't know how I still-"

"Wait – you _read_ it? And you _still_ didn't tell me that in a few weeks I'd be losing what should be mine?" Toph's voice had risen to a yell. "How could you do that?"

"I don't know why I forgot, Toph! I'm sorry!" Katara flung her arms up. "I had a lot of things on my mind at that time, but I won't run away from the fact that I'm in the wrong!"

"Being sorry and honorable and admitting you're wrong won't help now, so why even bother?" Toph hissed. "I would've understood better if you hadn't read it – I'd still be angry, but I'd get it. You know, you found this letter, shoved it in your bag and went off to chase some killer and forgot. Right, okay. But it's different!" Her voice rose and dipped in pitch where she emphasized her words. "You read it – you knew what was inside. You knew exactly what'd happen if I didn't get home in time. I don't think I would've went running home, but I'd like to have at least known! Wasn't it important enough for you to remember at some point?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry-"

"I _know_ you're sorry!" seethed Toph.

"Calm down, Toph," said Sokka quietly, touching her elbow in concern.

Katara took the opportunity to relax her pinched frame, and stole a glance at Zuko and Suki; the former had his eyes fixed blankly on Toph, while the latter could only stare into her lap. Katara licked her lips and returned her own eyes to the earthbender and her brother… She could sense Sokka was disappointed – considering the look he had given her as she had stepped out from behind Appa – but she was grateful that he was reeling in some of Toph's rage. She had never seen the earthbender so angry, so furious, and it made her feel ashamed to know that she had caused it. Perhaps the content of the letter was infuriating, too, but seeing Toph like this was still a shock. _What have I done?_

"If it was so important, why didn't you tell me?" continued Toph after a deep breath, her voice still loud and hard.

"A lot was on my mind – I was tracking my mother's killer, I was worried about the War, and… and there was that thing I told you about," Katara added, not having another way to stress her emotions towards Zuko that they had discussed; she did not want the other members of Team Avatar to hear this now. They could not. Toph chuckled bitterly and tossed her head back, looking out into the rain. Katara scowled but used a level voice nonetheless. "You being angry about this won't stop me from apologizing." This situation would not prevent her from logically defending herself as she normally did in arguments – she would hold her own ground. She could have begun a scolding tirade to make Toph feel like a misbehaving child, as she was being unreasonably vicious… but Katara knew better. _She_ had made the mistake. She could not turn it around to make Toph feel bad.

"Stop that!" Toph's fingers pushed through her greasy hair and she took a few steps back, slipping her hands down and looking at Katara again. "Stop trying to be so good and make me feel guilty! Wanna know something? We all have a lot of things on our mind – you're not the only one in this War, Katara. With the things you've been bothering about, I'm surprised you're still fighting."

Katara recoiled as though she had been slapped. "What are you talking about?"

"You know. Don't make me say something I'll-"

"No, I want you to say it. Please," said Katara in a challenging voice. She was holding her own ground. "Enlighten me."

The last two insolent words sparked even more rage in the earthbender – her teeth clenched, gritting together, a thin crack scuttling across the ground between them when she stomped forward, fists balled. "The last thing you've been thinking about is ending the War. You're distracted and you're not doing anyone any good – you're constantly thinking about stupid, useless things that keep _ruining_ everything! Just look at what happened to Aang!" Toph finished venomously.

But then, after a moment of heavy panting, she pressed her lips together and looked down. And for some reason Katara could not see Suki and Zuko on the floor very clearly – then she realized that the shiny blur of tears was welling in her eyes, obscuring a part of her vision. As Sokka passed a hand over his face, Katara quickly snatched her short plum cloak up from her sleeping bag and pulled it over her head, making her way to the south steps. So much for holding her own ground.

Suki looked up at her for the first time since this had started. "Where are you going?"

Katara started down the steps, a whirl of thoughts and emotions spinning around in her exhausted mind like a ghastly hurricane. "I don't have to hear this. I need to be alone." Her tongue felt loose, the words rolling clumsily from her mouth, flowing on one breath. "I need to find Aang and make things right," she went on haphazardly, without paying mind to what she was saying, without pondering the sense of her words – if there was any at all.

"Katara!" her brother's voice called after her.

"Wait!" Suki protested as the waterbender stepped into the rain. "It's late and it's pouring – we can search tomorrow!" A pause. "Zuko, where are _you_ going?"

"Stay put. I'm gonna talk to her."

By now, Katara was halfway across the quad and she was already beginning to come to her senses, discerning the components of the hurricane ripping away inside her mind. How irrational she had just been! But it had arisen from somewhere within her – a part that felt victimized by the group of friends, a part that was burdened with guilt over the disappearance of Aang, a part that yearned for something selfish and ridiculous and simply _irrational_ to be done just so all the weight could leave her shoulders… Perhaps she was not as mature as she thought she was. Still, she was not an adult no matter what they thought. She did not always have to act sensibly. She could toss her arms above her head and run screaming if she wanted, if that would help ease the grief and anger overwhelming her and forcing sobs past her throat. As she walked further, the tears were rolling down her cheeks and mixing with the fresh rain, her pace quickening until her boots were hammering the ground violently and she was crashing into the forest in a whirl of soaked clothes and sodden hair and Zuko was calling her name and his footsteps were close behind.

The noise of the storm surging around her seemed muffled, and she could only hear the blood pounding in her ears, her uneven gasps for air mingled with two sets of footsteps. However, she could not pause to consider this; her mind was spinning, reeling, thoughts whizzing by in a frantic daze. The only objective clear to her was to get a distance away, to go somewhere alone so she could stop and _breathe_. As soon as she burst out onto a wide, abrupt path amongst the trees, she suddenly realized that she could not be alone as she wanted if Zuko was trailing her. _Doesn't he understand?_ She was trying to get away, not arouse concern so that she was followed. But her sudden hesitation in the middle of the path revealed to her how fatigued she was, and tiredly, she dragged her feet a few steps forward, her back meeting with the bark of a tree as she tried to ease her panting.

Not a moment later, Zuko shoved away a tangle of branches and found himself on the same path, the rain free to shower down over them, not hampered by the canopy of the trees. He drew into the very centre, boots squelching over the muddy forest earth – and they stared at each other, breathing furiously, locked in one of those all-consuming gazes that had always entranced them.

"Why did you do that?" he finally asked evenly, after looking at her rather profoundly.

"You know why," she answered cryptically.

He scowled. "No, Katara, I don't," he said sharply. "Actually, I'm not sure I understand anything you've been doing lately."

She sighed and shut her eyes, eyebrows creased. "You keep going back to what happened this morning," she thought aloud.

"Yeah? Well, give me one good reason why I shouldn't. You were thinking about it too, all day long – I can see it in your face. But you know what else? Today was also the first time I didn't know what was going through your head, and you don't even want to explain!"

Her eyes flashed open and she pushed off from the tree. "I _do_ want to explain!" she cried back. "Stop jumping to conclusions when you haven't even made the effort to talk to me!"

"Why should I?" he shouted as a resounding crack of thunder echoed through the forest. It felt so strong that she thought even the streams of rain were jerking. "I don't have _anything_ to explain to you."

"Fine, I'll tell you!" she yelled above the billowing rain, lightning setting the night alight as she drew closer to him like a predator, fists clenched at her sides. "It's our fault! All of it! You and me, we aren't healthy – not for everyone else, at least!" She came to a stop mere inches away from him, her voice loud and shaky. "Everything that happened is our fault – Aang leaving, Toph not being able to inherit… Can't you see this huge rift? I can. And it's because of us," she hissed. "Our relationship was hard to start as it is, but it still keeps destroying things!" She emphasized each word with violent shudders, as she did her best to get through to him. "You have to understand this, because I do and I won't throw away everything for a relationship that might be based on a story book that isn't real!"

As she stood in front of him, chest heaving, she saw how he hesitated before making a response. Then she realized that what she said had hurt him – greatly. She tensed her jaw, swallowed, and turned away, stringy hair whipping about her and slapping onto her flushed cheeks.

Zuko watched her in outraged disbelief as she paced restlessly back and forth. He snorted and shook his head. "Is that really what you think?" he said in a dangerous voice. "Is that _really_ what you think? Wow, I never thought you were so damn _stupid_!" he spat, causing her to spin around and glare in shock. "Yes, you are stupid – you think your own friends would suddenly turn on you and alienate you because of something you did?" He laughed coldly. "Why can't you realize that the world isn't against you? Of course Toph's upset that you didn't tell her. But even if she had known, I don't think she'd leave us all to go running to save a fortune!"

More tears welled, falling over her lids – and he only barely noticed them as they merged with the torrents of rain. She let out a strangled sob without intending to. "But that's not all!" she cried weakly. And she was beginning to crumble. "A-Aang… You don't know what we talked about before he left…"

"What?" he demanded, trying to catch her eye. "What is it? Come on, you can't do this anymore! You need to tell me the whole story!"

"We were talking about u-us!" she tried to yell, but ended up releasing a whimpering cry, before stopping so she could suck in a few trembling breaths. She ran her tongue over her lips, tasting the rain, before looking up at him past her eyelashes and continuing with a new, stronger voice. "He saw us, Zuko. He saw us together on the roof."

"What?" said Zuko again, breathlessly, this time with a more distraught note.

She clenched her fists and jammed her right boot into the ground. "He saw us kissing on the roof!" she shrieked, her voice waning again and breaking into agonized sobs. "He s-saw us! And he asked me about it – he said he suspected it because of how we acted with each other… and he said he couldn't deal with it just yet. He said he needed time – and just like I left the camp now, what if that's what he did?" she questioned, panic rising in her voice. "What if he ran away, like he ran from the Southern Air Temple that day? What if he got hurt?" She threw her gaze to the side in distress. "Don't you see? If he gets hurt, if he doesn't win against Ozai, it's because we broke his spirit! It's us!" she repeated. "It's our relationship that keeps causing problems. And you know what else he thinks? That we don't care for each other-"

"Katara, wait-"

"I'm not finished! He thinks that you and I don't care for each other as people – that we only want a physical relationship! A-And I couldn't let him think that. I refused! I _wouldn't_ let him m-make insinuations and pretend to know how I really feel about you when I care for you too much to only want you for that!" she admitted, missing the wonder on Zuko's face. "But I was harsh with him. And the look he had… he was just so hurt, and upset, and I felt awful for that because I've always protected him like he was my own blood! Just… that look…" She paused as another wave of fresh tears travelled down her face. "I'm sick of lying about this, Zuko. I'm sick of what our relationship has forced us to do! I feel dishonest – like I've cheated him-"

"But you two were never together," interrupted Zuko roughly. "He can't make you feel guilty when you don't even return his feelings. That's unfair of him, no matter what way you put it, no matter how you try to twist this in his favour like you always do-"

"Oh? Like I always do?" she demanded vigorously.

He huffed. "Remember why we argued yesterday? Yeah, well, it's true, Katara. You can't baby him forever! You can't degrade what we have just because you feel bad about something you said to poor little Aang."

"Can you even hear yourself?" Her voice was high-pitched as she moved closer to him again. "He's missing – maybe even dead – and you still talk about him like that?"

"Talk about him like what? Like an equal human being? Fine, I do!" he sneered. "I won't argue with you about this again. But I'm telling you _now_ so we can resolve this _now_. This boy is going to be a leader, he's going to defeat the Fire Lord and he's going to make decisions alone – ones that only he can make. You can't whisper into his ear if you think something's wrong. Because one day, he'll have to stop listening to you and take charge. You can't always walk on eggshells with him because one day, he's going to want to be your equal, rather than the little boy who loved you yet you only _liked_ as a little brother. Understand?"

"B… But…"

"I don't mean you have to be cruel – but now that you've made your feelings clear, he's going to want to move on and be a close friend. He can't do that if you treat him like you do now. Heck, it'll only serve as a reminder to him that you don't return his feelings! Okay? Okay."

She nodded, hot tears that contrasted with the icy rain spilling over her eyelids. "But being with you is still going to feel wrong if we hide like this. If we keep basing our relationship off of an old book. I just…"

He slicked his hand through his sopping hair in frustration. "How many times have I told you that we are our own relationship?" he ground out from between his teeth.

"And how many times will I have to tell you that I don't feel right being with you?" she screeched as another bout of heavy thunder cracked in the air.

He looked taken aback. "You don't mean that," he said simply – much more gently than their previous manner of talking.

"I do!" she said emphatically. "I'm sick of feeling like a liar, like I'm hiding away a part of myself and being underhanded!"

"You're afraid," he observed, in that same soft tone.

"_Huh_?" She knitted her brows and shook her head, making to turn away – but his hand fastened firmly around her wrist, snatching her arm back and hindering her from leaving.

"Look at what you're doing," he said. "You keep trying to find problems so that you can run away from us. You _are_ afraid. I can't believe I haven't noticed it before…"

Frantically, she tried to yank her wrist free, shaking her head uncomprehendingly. "No… No! I'm not afraid," she protested wildly. "I-I am not. No…"

"Why are you afraid?" he asked, as if speaking to a frightened animal. "Don't be." And with that, he gave a tug on her arm and pulled her into him, surrounding and surprising her with his warmth, and holding her in a firm but tender embrace. His arm went around her waist, the other tangling in her wet hair, holding her head so that it was tucked over his shoulder. But as Katara stared ahead in unbridled shock, she felt a cold feeling building in her, ultimately making her break into tremors, arms automatically coming up to fight against his touch which invaded her.

"No! I'm not afraid – I'm not afraid of you! Just… let me go!" she screamed, beating blindly at his arms and chest and back.

"You know damn well that I won't ever let you go," he said in that maddeningly calm voice.

"Stop it! I am not afraid of you!" And once again the tears shot down her face, and as she cried and sobbed in his arms she swallowed the falling rain, making her choke. But she would not stop struggling against him – he was only holding her, not hurting her at all, but his scent and touch and entire being was around her, drawing her in. And she did not know why, but she did not want to let it happen. Not yet. She had to… what? What did she have to do? What stopped her from relaxing her straining arms and wrapping them around his neck? "No!" she cried out again.

"I know you're not afraid of me." _You're afraid of us – letting yourself go, trusting yourself to be with me._

"Why won't you just let me go?" she pleaded desperately, pained sobs wracking her shoulders as her arms began to tire. She did not understand. It was like torture – not what he was doing, but what he was causing: she wanted to lose herself in his embrace, but at the same time, it scared her to be in it. _Scared her._ She was afraid – but she had every reason to be. At least she thought so. Her feelings were undeniable, but there were other things that had covertly bred a cutting, doubtful sensation in her mind, without her knowledge…

Could it be that she was truly afraid of the others being disappointed in her, of them detesting her possible relationship with Zuko so much that they would not accept them, of her feelings for the firebender proving to be false and only based on _Love Amongst the Dragons_? Katara shut her eyes and let the uncontrollable tears flow. _Yes_, a voice in her mind whispered.

"Come on, Katara. You know why," he said, repeating the words she had spoken when he had stepped out onto the path. "You don't have to be scared anymore."

And then the words came. Just a few words that could never be simple together or on their own. He murmured them to her, right in her ear. And despite the rain gushing down from the tormented heavens above them, the lightning blazing across the sky in a serrated blade, the deafening booms of thunder threatening to rip their surroundings to shreds… She heard them. Clearly. And she stopped sobbing, she stopped struggling, she stopped fighting him – and she melted into him with a renewed fondness. Now that she had heard those words, she knew she would cherish them for the rest of her life…

"I love you."

* * *

**A/N:**

**:D**

**At last, Chapter 20 is complete! I am so sorry the wait has been so long. That is, the wait for the chapter, and the wait for Zutara to be a confirmed thing in this fic! :D Thank you for bearing with me, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter. **

**I know Katara may have been whiny and kind of batshit towards the end, but she _was_ close to breaking point. I can't blame her, actually. I myself felt horrible when she was feeling victimized and disconsolate – we've all felt that way at some point, I expect? **

**Congratulations to _Cream-Pie13_, who managed to remember the letter from Toph's parents! :P I was sitting here, all cunning and crafty and mwahaha, planning to take you all by surprise by suddenly bringing it out. XD (Perhaps most of you were like my friend who thought I'd only bring it in right at the end. :P) Yeah, I thought everyone had forgotten about it so I was pleasantly surprised when you asked – kudos, you observant beastie, you. :D **

**And one last thing. The chapter title comes from the theme song of _Love Amongst the Dragons_ – 'Nothing Like You and I' by The Perishers. A snippet of 'Spectrum' by Florence and the Machine is also relevant to this chapter – "We are shining and we'll never be afraid again". (Disclaimer: I own none of those songs! :P) **

**Gosh, this is another long one – pardon any mistakes I made. Do you prefer long chapters or short chapters? Again, thank you so much for the reviews and alerts! I really appreciate them, and I'm glad you've been reading! :D Onwards to the next chapter… **


	21. Shaking Off the Shadows

**A/N: -_- Here I am, with another chapter, after too long a time. I've been trying to write a little bit whenever I can, so here is Chapter 21! If you find a spelling mistake where I've left out the letter B in a word, do excuse that – my B key isn't working properly. '^_^ **

**Disclaimer: Anything copyrighted in this fic does not belong to meeeeeeee. …the E key does work. :P**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Shaking Off the Shadows**

* * *

As much as their previous confrontation was important and needed, it did not stop Zuko and Katara from getting lost.

"I'm sure it was the other way!"

"I don't think it would be wise to listen to you. I mean, you ran through half a forest without keeping track of the direction you were running in."

"And you were following me. So what kept you?" Katara smirked.

Zuko's face fell into a flat expression and, not having anything better to say, he rolled his eyes. The night had advanced, the rain easing down to a light drizzle as they walked with fingers interwoven; Zuko had stayed true to his word, even after the embrace had ended when they decided to return to the campsite. He would not let her go. The two cut a route through the trees, perpendicular to the main path. Boots sloshing through the mud and cheeks sprinkled with water droplets, the two found… that they were more hopelessly lost than before.

"I told you it was the other way," said Katara, halting and tugging on Zuko's arm. "I know for a fact I didn't run this far. Let's just try the other side of the path, okay?"

He glanced doubtfully between Katara and the tangle of trees ahead, before sighing and turning around, letting her lead them in the opposite direction back towards the path. Now the inky night was seeping back to reveal a grey sky weighed down with bundles of heavy cloud, the silver dawn light strained as it struggled to pierce the cover. As he walked beside her, Zuko wiped away the fine spray of raindrops on his face, fingers brushing calmly over his scar without the old, strange fascination. Ah, that past self seemed a thousand years away… _Crack!_ Zuko's head whipped up, eyes narrowed, scanning the trees above for the origin of the dissonant sound of splintering branches.

Katara slowed her lumbering tread, aiming for a silent one, having also heard the odd sound. They moved stealthily over the fallen twigs and leaves littering the muddy forest floor, edging around the surfaced root of a tree as Katara monitored the surroundings at the level of the ground, Zuko keeping his eyes focused upwards and allowing her to guide him; both working together as one. Suddenly, a few trees away, a dark shadow leaped to land on a sturdy bough. _Crack!_

Zuko tightened his hold on her hand. "Go!" he hissed. And they broke into a run.

Katara had led while they were surveying the area, but with longer legs and a much greater running speed, Zuko easily overtook her and hauled her along, eyes trained on the opening up ahead as she tried not to trip on a carelessly placed root and send them tumbling to the soggy earth, rendering them vulnerable to their pursuer. As they neared the break in the trees that gave way to the path, Zuko yanked her forward and released her, sending her spinning in front of him so that she pierced through the trees with a gasp, emerging on the path like a well-aimed arrow. All in a split-second, Katara brought her hands up and pulled water from the damp ground, turning around with a clear stream at the ready as Zuko fell into a firebending stance beside her.

For a moment they stood there, breathing deeply as the shadow jumped amongst two more trees before sailing with a cheer to the ground at the path's edge. Frowning, Zuko lunged forward, punching forth a blast of fire – but the cloaked stranger swept its foot over the ground and thrust out its fist, cackling and snorting, bringing up a stout wall of earth that blocked Zuko's attack. It made a buzzing sound with its tongue as though it was jeering playfully at them. _Plus it snorted and laughed_. Katara, still pondering this as the wall slid back into the ground, hesitated as she stepped forward to make her attack. But her hesitation at the moment of launching resulted in a flimsy, weak attack, only spraying the stranger and managing to fling the hood of its dark cloak back.

Katara could not help a gasp of surprise – she recognized the stranger. Zuko froze and glanced at her before he made another attack.

Drenched in cold water and slouching in that familiar way, Bumi angrily flapped his arms and slapped his hands to his face, rubbing them over his cheeks; like elastic, his damp, wrinkled skin snapped back into place after removing his hands. He puffed out a breath. "What's the big idea?" he questioned in comical anger.

Katara lowered her arms, relieved that this was not a stranger but a friend of Team Avatar, and also slightly embarrassed. She gave a nervous titter. "Sorry, King Bumi. We didn't know it was you."

Zuko, staring at the old man in puzzlement as he mumbled to himself and straightened his travelling cloak, inclined his head towards Katara. "_That's_ the king of Omashu?"

"I heard that, fire boy!" seethed Bumi. "And I'm flattered that you're not calling it _New Ozai_."

"Of course not, uh… Your Majesty…" Zuko scratched his head.

"So respectful, considering you're Fire Nation!"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You _are_ older-"

Suddenly Bumi was mere inches from Zuko's face; his left eye widened impossibly, a dark shadow passing over his wrinkly brown face. "What's that, eh?" he inquired menacingly.

"Um, nothing…" mumbled Zuko, wanting to reclaim his personal space, extremely annoyed with this ancient, psychotic man. It would not be long before he lost his temper and demanded a reason as to why Bumi was skulking around in the trees, only to scold them when he reached them. Perhaps he had a personality disorder – no, he must be _multi-faceted_, as his uncle might correct him.

Bumi drew back abruptly, chortling. "Nah, I'm just kidding. Of course I'm old!" With that, he broke off into shrieking laughter, left eye wide and twitching – and stuck on Zuko.

"Uh, Bumi," interrupted Katara, tapping his shoulder politely.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Is there a reason you're here?" She paused, another hopeful, important question surfacing. "Is Aang with you?"

Bumi shook his head gravely, sobering down. "Unfortunately, no, Katara. But your other friends are back at camp and have filled us in on the whole story."

Katara frowned. "_Us_?"

"Sure! The other oldies, I mean! And then I said I'd go looking for you rascals, and as you can see, I'm successful, too…"

"Yeah, but-"

Zuko touched her elbow. She turned to look at him over her shoulder as Bumi continued to jibber on about his adventure. But he was not looking at her. Zuko's golden orbs rested thoughtfully on the ornate pendant at Bumi's throat, barely visible above the golden clasp of his dark cloak, bristly beard too short to conceal it from Zuko's observant gaze. "My uncle is with you, isn't he?"

Bumi stopped, smiling knowingly at him, showing the first sign of liking him since meeting him – and also revealing a spark of intelligence in his lime eyes that Zuko had not expected to be under the eccentricity. "I see you're familiar with the symbol of the Order of the White Lotus. Splendid!" Bumi chuckled pleasantly, rapidly nodding before gesturing down the path. "In that case, let's get going, children, while the rain's stopped. We don't want to keep them waiting too long, do we?"

* * *

Few souls were stirring at this hour in the camp. An hour or two later they arrived and Bumi scampered off, dragging Zuko with him as he went. But Katara was not left uncertain and alone at the entrance for long.

Reuniting with her waterbending master gave her a sense of reassurance – as well as happiness, for Pakku told her with a calm bliss that he and Kanna had been married shortly after reuniting at the Southern Water Tribe, years of true love prevailing without attrition. Katara had not expected to receive such news – nevertheless, it was a delight, and she let her darker feelings regarding the Comet's arrival slip away as she listened to him, a smile on her lips. His tone was wry as he spoke of his interaction with Sokka the previous night, but there was something significantly blithe about Pakku that had never been present before. Perhaps he was even more thrilled about his marriage than he wished to let on.

As their conversation was carried elsewhere, he guided her through the camp. The men of the Order had chosen a location deep within the boundary of the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se, near the Earth Kingdom's north-eastern coastline, placed adequately to launch attacks on the Fire Nation's army occupying the city. A flag carrying the emblem of the Order of the White Lotus was central in the camp, around which over two dozen large tents had been set up that were of the same colours as the White Lotus uniform – a deep, luxurious indigo topped with starchy beige. Beneath the flag billowing in the fair breeze sat the meeting point for all of the members, designated by a wide, open circle formed with lotus tiles much bigger than those in Pai Sho. But Pakku took her past this meeting place, navigating easily between the tents, all the way to a tent slightly larger than the others.

"That is the Grand Lotus's tent," explained Pakku, coming to a stop a few feet before it.

And without asking she knew who the Grand Lotus was – for in front of the tent stood Zuko, fists clenched at his sides. "Iroh," whispered Katara.

Pakku gave a curt nod, registering mild surprise when she abruptly left his side and went to Zuko's. As Pakku waited and watched on patiently, Katara put her hand on the firebender's shoulder, but he did not regard her, not even a flinch of surprise – his face was turned downwards, eyes staring hardly at the grass between him and the entrance of the tent. "Zuko," she said gently. "Go inside. He'll be glad to see you."

"After what I've done?" He shook his head. "I've thought of this moment before – when I'd see him, what I'd say… But I don't think I can express how sorry I am. The way I treated him… it's unforgivable."

Katara nodded in understanding. "But that is all in the past. It's for your uncle to decide if he can forgive you. And," she gave a small, comforting smile, "I think he will because he loves you. But if you don't go in there, he won't get the chance. Please, see him? I'm sure he won't think of any of that as soon as he sees you're all right."

He looked at her past his loose, damp hair. "You're sure?"

"'Course, Sparky! I can confirm it myself," said a voice behind them, before Katara could answer. She looked up to see Toph strolling towards them, across the grass from where she had been sitting before a doused fire. She came to a stop at Zuko's elbow and flicked his arm affectionately. "Have I told you about the time we had tea? Well, he couldn't stop talking about you, Zuko, and of his faith in you. He loves you enough to think of you as his own son, and since he's a good man, I don't think that'd change for him."

Katara squeezed his shoulder. "That's how we know he'll forgive you. I think he's going to be so relieved to see that you're okay, and that you've changed. For real this time."

Zuko sucked in a breath, straightening up. "All right. I'm… going to make things right." He stepped forward, looking over his shoulder and smiling faintly at them. "And thank you. I needed that."

"Anytime, Sparks."

With that, Zuko parted the tent flap and disappeared inside. Katara and Toph stared at the entrance for a moment or two, before Pakku cleared his throat. They turned to face him, and he regarded them with a chuckle as he looked between them, hands linked behind his back. "Now, Katara," he began, "your other friends went off to get some sleep on the orders of this young earthbender here. She wanted to stay awake until you arrived. She has a very pressing matter to discuss with you. Why don't you have a seat over there?" he suggested, jerking his head at the logs around the fireplace. "I'll leave you both alone." After they seated themselves on a log, Pakku swept out of the area, vanishing into the flock of tents.

The grey lightened even further as dawn continued on into bright, early morning. Katara shifted on the rough surface of the log to face Toph in order to speak to her clearly, pushing her tangled, dripping hair completely over her shoulders. She would need to redo her hair loopies, too, she thought absentmindedly… Katara tentatively reached a hand out, smoothing it over the mottled log between them. "Are you okay?"

Toph gave a soundless chortle, toes fidgeting in the damp earth. She lifted one pale, tiny hand from her lap and placed it over the warm hand of the waterbender beside her. "I think I'll live. You?"

Katara grinned. "Yes – but only if we're okay, too… Are we?"

"Of course we are, stupid," mumbled Toph, shaking her head and curling her fingers around Katara's. "There's not a chance of me ever hating you. We had a rough patch when I first joined, but that's it. We're pretty much family now. I know I'm not meant to be the best at recognizing family, but I sure know that you guys are mine… The best I could have."

Katara turned her hand over so that their fingers could interlink, the sudden warmth in her heart making tears shine in her eyes. "I'm glad of that, Toph," she said with relief. "And I think of you the same way. But still, I have to tell you… that I'm really sorry for what I did. I shouldn't have forgotten-"

"Katara, don't worry about it," interrupted Toph. "It's not like I would've abandoned you lot to save some silly inheritance. What would you do without me giving you light in your lives, anyway?"

Katara remembered Zuko's words to her last night: _But even if she had known, I don't think she'd leave us all to go running to save a fortune._ It seemed as though everyone had known this except for her in her state of panic. But she should have known, and she felt as though it was her mistake. Toph was a better person than that, possessing much more integrity and having an enormous allegiance to them. "I know that now. But you were so upset yesterday, and didn't I hurt your feelings?"

"It's hard to bruise someone like me emotionally. But I was really frustrated. About the War, Aang going missing, and you… Well, I was worried about you. Really, I'm not exactly mad about the letter. I _was_ surprised you didn't tell me and angry at the time 'cause it's not like you to forget – at least before you and Zuko got together. So it wasn't much about the letter itself, but because I could see you changing."

"How?"

"Like during earthbending training, you usually hang on the side to make sure I'm being nice to Aang, but these days, you and Zuko have been disappearing together. I'm not trying to stop you or anything, believe me-" Toph held up a hand "-but I was kinda scared my suspicions were coming true about… Well, I'm gonna be honest here. It was the last thing I said to you before you stormed off into the rain." Toph picked at the log's surface. "I knew _I_ upset _you_ yesterday when I blamed you for Aang going missing. I didn't know it was bothering me that much, but I could feel it on my mind. That day Sokka came up with the whole duobending thing, Aang and I were talking and… he knew. About you and Zuko. He was sad and I really hated seeing him like that, so I was worried that maybe he ran off because of that or something."

"I had the same feeling that it was my fault," said Katara solemnly. "I felt that way even before you brought it up, Toph. You don't have to worry about upsetting me." She looked down. "You and the others didn't know this, but I'm sensitive about it because we had an argument the afternoon before he left. I'm just scared that _that_ may have caused it, and you know how it'd hurt me to do anything to hurt Aang."

"But we don't know for sure if that's why he ran away," added Toph. "The pressure of the Comet might've got to him or something – stuff like that has happened before. I was just telling you something I considered. But you know, I have a feeling everything'll come together. I think it's gonna be just fine."

Katara mustered up a weak smile. "Right. But, uh, you know I am sorry-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm sorry, too – for being all aggressive and whatnot."

"So we're good then?"

"You know it, Sugar Queen." She grinned.

Katara laughed. "And Toph?"

"Yeah?"

"I'll never change like that. We do have to grow up, of course, but I'll always be here for Aang. And you. You also don't have to be worried about that anymore."

Toph looked to the side, but Katara could see a shy, telltale dimple between the strands of her black hair. "Yeah, well, you were chasing a killer, so I can't be too angry about your memory slip, can I?" She rose to her feet with a sigh and, without pause, gave Katara a firm smack on the arm.

"Ow!"

"That is real affection, right there. Now come on – you're sharing a tent with Suki and me. Tomorrow the Comet arrives, and I don't wanna be pounding Fire Nation soldiers without sleep."

* * *

Parting the flap of the tent, Zuko stepped inside, immersing himself in the blanket of warm air filling the tent, thin, wispy smoke curling up from sticks of incense placed here and there inside the spacious area. Instead of his boot falling on lush earth, he found himself standing on a mat of red, woven fabric that covered the area of the tent. It did not surprise him, for although his uncle could make do when necessary, he was used to his creature comforts. A handful of trunks and chests lay about the tent, and a flame burned in a lamp beside a futon – upon which Iroh slept soundly, unaware of his nephew. Zuko drew in a deep breath and sat in the centre of the mat, crossing his legs and listening to the raspy breathing that was as common to him as his own. He was unsure if it was the incense that was hazing his vision, or the exhaustion creeping upon him paired with the peace of hearing Iroh's breathing.

A tickling sensation ran across Zuko's cheek, akin to a finger ghosting over his skin. He stirred, opening his eyes slowly – but bolting upright when he felt the fur of the thick blanket covering his body and the sunlight streaming through the tent flap, unsettled by a breeze. The afternoon light paired with the soft wind gusted over him again, hair tickling against his cheek again. The futon was empty, as he had expected. But he had not expected to fall asleep and miss his uncle entirely. He hoped he had not heard too much from anyone outside, for Zuko wanted to explain by himself. Lay everything out that needed to be. Express just how sorry he was.

_Step._ The crunch of sandals on moist earth alerted him to the approach of his uncle, and he pulled himself into a sitting position. _Step._ The sleep dashed from his eyes, and he sat still, staring at the side of the tent above the futon. _Step._ His heart began a clamorous thudding in his chest, ears filling with the sound of his own racing blood. _Step._ His trembling fingers clutched achingly onto the material of his pants. _Step._ He swallowed, eyes falling closed, hot liquid building behind his lids. _Step._ The flap of the tent was drawn back as he drew breath sharply into his lungs.

_Step._ His uncle entered the tent. Zuko opened his wet eyes.

"Would you care for some hot leaf juice?" Iroh walked around him, carrying a teapot with scented steam wafting from the spout and mixing with the remaining smoke of the incense.

Zuko could not help his slackened jaw as his uncle eased into a kneeling position opposite him, setting down two wooden cups and placing the teapot between them. Zuko, in disbelief, watched him pour the steaming tea. "I… what?" he stammered in bewilderment.

Iroh looked him in the eye for the first time in ages, after a long time during which neither thought they would see the other again. Instantly a connection was made, so strong that Zuko could not tear his eyes away in shame as he had the notion to, so strong that Iroh did not even blink, so strong that the word 'father' wandered into Zuko's mind. In those old eyes, Zuko saw all that he had missed so much – kindness, acceptance, family, love. He then noticed the things about Iroh that had changed: there was no bulge at his abdomen, his bulk greatly reduced; and the fire in the old man's eyes was not underlying as it used to be – it was fierce and resurfaced, in time for the monumental battle that was to take place the very next day. Yet he was still the same person, the tea-loving, accommodating man he had always been.

Iroh returned his attention to the tea, inhaling the aroma deeply before setting it back on the red mat. "Ginseng, to be exact."

_It's for your uncle to decide if he can forgive you. And I think he will because he loves you. _Due to the hard, rough skin of his scar, Zuko barely felt the tear bloom and slip down his cheek. "Uncle, I… I am so sorry," he managed, his words choppy, wrapped in a stuttering breath. "For everything that I've done. I'm sorry. I'm just… so sorry and I don't know how to tell you properly, and I wish I could change what I was before-"

"You have changed now, haven't you? And that is what matters the most, my nephew," he interrupted calmly.

"But how I betrayed you…" murmured Zuko, the tears sliding down and clinging to the tip of his chin. He leaned forward, eyes piercing into Iroh's "I wish I could take it back and I see how wrong my choice was back then – back at Ba Sing Se. And yes, I have changed, for the better – I-I've learned my lesson. I hate how I had to do it when I could've listened to you. I _should've_ listened to you, Uncle. I need you to know how sorry-"

But he was interrupted by Iroh's sudden embrace, big arms wrapped tightly around his nephew, shielding him as though he were protecting him from all the wrong in the world. Drawing back with his large hands still on Zuko's shoulders, Iroh looked at him with a sad smile. "You are forgiven, Zuko."

Zuko's eyes widened. "…Just like that? Uncle, I haven't even told you-"

"Remember, I am not my brother; I do not need you to go to impossible lengths to prove that you are true." Iroh's smile turned brighter, the hint of a jest on his lips. "I can see it as you sit here, Zuko. How mature, good and very much changed you are. Your friends have already told me of what you gave up to join them, and how you have trained the Avatar in firebending." Iroh squeezed his shoulders. "I am proud of you, my nephew, overwhelmingly proud. Finally you have chosen the right path that will lead to your true happiness."

That was a moment Zuko would remember forever – how happy he felt when his uncle forgave him, the immense shame lifting from him completely, cool relief enveloping him. He felt as if he could take on anything now that his uncle had forgiven him and nearly everything was… all right. With Katara, and finally with Iroh. He found himself smiling back at his uncle, the joy and gratitude shining past the tears in his eyes. And as he brought his hand to dry his face, he found that the last of his torment was wiped away. Iroh chuckled, before widening his own eyes when Zuko gripped his shoulders in an embrace.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Iroh smiled, resting his hand on Zuko's head. "You also have my thanks, Zuko. I am glad that you made this decision." He patted his nephew's raven hair, before lifting an eyebrow. "And I must say, you have really grown into this hairstyle. It suits you well. She must like it."

Zuko jerked back. "What do you mean? Who?"

"The Water Tribe girl with the becoming eyes. Katara."

Zuko pinched his mouth to the side, trying to approach this topic delicately. His eyes roved down to his cooling cup of tea, and without a better distraction – or something to fiddle with while he gathered his wits – snatched it up, fumbling it around between his fingers and sipping noisily. "So you've met the others properly?"

"Actually, I've met them before in Ba Sing Se, when we were searching for you and Katara. Toph was the first I met, though, when you and I were separated in the Earth Kingdom. And now I know lovely Suki. So believe me, nephew, we are more acquainted than you think." Iroh gave a rumbling laugh. "But now we can be acquainted as true friends, rather than momentary allies."

"That's good, then," said Zuko. "And they told you everything?"

"Everything, yes. How you were not accepted when you first attempted to join, but how you were adamant and rescued them. How you and Aang learned true firebending from a few old friends of mine, then how you continued to train him. How you and Sokka freed some prisoners of the Boiling Rock, including Chief Hakoda. How you accompanied Katara on the mission to avenge the murder of her mother, and how she did not kill the killer. And I also heard a great deal about how you did _not_ go on an adventure with a certain earthbender, and I was instructed to tell you that you still owe her a foot massage."

"Almost forgot about that." Zuko paused, staring around awkwardly. "So, why did you say… uh… that Katara likes my hair?" he blurted lamely.

Iroh smiled to himself. "The way she spoke about you and your mission together. There was something more behind the friendship she said was forged, more than what the others could say of their own relationship with you. Take Miss Beifong, for instance – you are undoubtedly just a friend to her, whereas I sense something more affectionate towards Sokka."

Zuko raised his eyebrow. "Whoa. I did not see that coming."

"Eh, I may be wrong." Iroh shrugged. "But back on the matter of Katara. Her eyes changed when she spoke of you – grew warmer, perhaps – and whenever your name was mentioned, her eyes would flutter elsewhere for a split-second. She also spoke of you very strongly but sweetly. I got the impression that she might have a slight crush on you, but your smile right there, Zuko…" Iroh eyed his nephew closely, expression mischievous. "Proof enough."

Zuko instantly snapped his lips into a straight line. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said quickly. But Iroh's grin only deepened, causing Zuko to sigh in defeat. "Fine. You're right. She's my… um…" _'Girlfriend' doesn't sound right. I'll need time to get used to it._ "I'm her…" _No way am I gonna say the word 'boyfriend' out loud._ "We're_…" What? Lovers? No! No, no, no! Going steady? I can do better than that. Dating? Attention, Sparky, you haven't been on a real date yet. _"We kept it secret from the others, but Katara and I are in a relationship," said Zuko finally, expression flat. _Did I just mentally call myself Sparky?_

Triumphantly, Iroh clasped his hands together. "Ah, that is brilliant news! I much prefer her to that melancholy girl who was Azula's friend. Not that I disliked her, but there is something in Katara I truly favour."

"Katara makes me feel different," observed Zuko quietly. "I feel encouraged to carry on, do the best I can, and be a good person. She… inspires me, like no one else. I don't know if I'm right for sure, but there is a feeling I get whenever I'm with her, whenever I'm away from her, whenever I hear and say her name. That feeling… it's strong and different and… I think it could be…"

Iroh blinked, having listened in wonder to his nephew. The old man sensed a flicker of pride in his heart again. "Love."

Zuko looked up. "Yes. I can't put any other name to it… Uncle, I think this is it – what it feels like. I love her," he whispered slowly, looking ruminatively at the steam spiraling from the cup.

Iroh beamed at him, trying to catch his eye. "What is the matter? Should you not be happier?" Iroh paused. "Does she know?"

"She does."

"Then what could possibly be wrong, nephew?"

"Do you remember that book my mother gave to me for my eighth birthday, before she was banished? It's called _Love Amongst the Dragons_."

"Ah, I do. I have my own, as a gift from the Sun Warriors. It's a remarkable story, indeed, and one that your mother favoured above all the books in the world." His expression became grieved. "Her reasoning was that she knew you would be forced to mature quickly, and that there were many times approaching where you'd feel lost. She knew her time at the palace was short and wanted you to have a piece of her to treasure, something also showing you an important lesson she valued highly: Never to be prejudiced and to stay true to your heart."

"I know." Zuko drained the last of his tea. "I started reading it with Katara when our mission started. We would take turns reading it aloud to each other, and it sort of became… our thing." He shrugged. "We grew closer because of the mission and also because we interacted more. But the thing is… our relationship started playing out similarly to Ran and Shao's. And Katara started to doubt if what we had was real. Everything's okay now. But I still wanna know – why exactly is our relationship like a parallel of a fictional one?"

Iroh furrowed his brow, contemplating for a moment or two, running his fingertips over the rim of the teacup. "Firstly, let me tell you that the story of Ran and Shao is not fictional," he began at length. "A legend, yes, because it contains a rare and unbelievable magic. But it's very true, though to most it's a beloved fairytale. Secondly, Ran and Shao are said to have the greatest love, according to Fire lore. As for how it parallels your relationship… Well, Zuko, I can offer you my theory."

"Anything, Uncle. I want to know why."

"Ran and Shao's tale begins because of Destiny. For only Destiny can bring two together in such a way. And think back… Think back to the Crystal Catacombs of Ba Sing Se. You were at the crossroads of your destiny, and Azula offered you one path, while Katara offered you another. You could have taken either and so chose Azula's path, but that was never the right one and you soon returned to the true path of your destiny. The path offered by Katara. Perhaps, like with Ran and Shao, you were destined to be brought together, no matter what you chose."

Zuko nodded slowly. "But how does that explain the similarities?"

"It was your destiny to be united, yes, but there were complications. You were still fitting into the group, and I think it must have felt wrong to her, accepting you after what happened. But Destiny came into play. For as you started reading _Love Amongst the Dragons_, you were brought closer together, and your mission allowed you to perceive a lot of things between you. But as for the similarity… well, that could be psychological. Or it could be Destiny's reminder that you two are intended. Perfectly fitting and correct. I would like to believe the latter reason – as one who's travelled the Spirit World, I find it easier to accept such possibilities."

"I trust you, Uncle, so I can accept them too, but… I don't understand. Ran and Shao, they get punished for being together – does that mean Katara and I will be punished in some way? And does that mean we are wrong?"

"Understand me when I say that you two are right," Iroh repeated slowly, enunciating each word. "But Ran and Shao's story was most likely just a _starting point_ so that Katara and Zuko could begin, thus you cannot be expected to have the same fate as them. You won't be punished, as you say. Destiny cannot force you two to have what another pair had, ages and moons ago. What you have is different, despite the similarities. You are extremely different to Ran and Shao, after all. Now, I understand things started getting choppy last night in your group, and you followed Katara after she ran off? I don't recall that happening to Ran and Shao," Iroh pointed out. "Don't you see, nephew? Destiny was showing you that you _are_ intended for each other, just like Ran and Shao were intended. That is the purpose of the similarities – to prove this.

"But you are your own. That's why there were _similarities_ and you aren't the exact _same_. While still supported by _Love Amongst the Dragons_, your starting point so to speak, your relationship is remaining as that: fledgling and secret. Now Destiny is trying to tell you something else. Your relationship will truly flourish if brought into the light of day, for others to know, for no guilt or secrecy. I think, by shaking off the shadows, you are acknowledging it as your own sure, solid relationship. Hopefully nothing will be doubtful after reality is embraced."

Zuko wet his lips, tasting the remnants of tea. Iroh sat back and sighed lazily, rubbing his considerably smaller abdomen as Zuko poured himself a second cup of tea. "Thanks for that, Uncle. For a change, I actually understood your wisdom. And you are very wise."

Iroh laughed. "How complimentary you are! I rather like this new Zuko."

"Me too." Then he raised his eyebrow abruptly, cocking his head. "Why am I the one drinking all the tea? You haven't had a sip since you came in."

"I thought we would reverse roles this time – you do the tea-drinking and talking, while I sit by and listen. I wanted to hear all you had to say."

Zuko lifted the corner of his mouth. "I think I've said everything important."

"Are you sure?"

"Just one more thing."

"Hmm?"

"Yes, Katara does find my hair extremely attractive. You can see it in her eyes. Anyway, let me hear from you, Uncle. Where did your abdomen go?"

"A fine tale that is, I assure you…"

* * *

"But won't it be weird if your uncle comes in here and finds us reading a love story together… alone?"

Zuko smirked, crossing his arms. "Are you thinking of ways this could be misinterpreted, Katara?"

The waterbender stuck her tongue against the inside of her cheek, hoping the slight reddening of her face would go unnoticed. "Of course not."

Zuko tugged her further into Iroh's tent before seating himself on the red mat. The incense swirled about them, blending with the early evening air. "My uncle is organizing the White Lotus members into battle divisions, for when they try to win back Ba Sing Se. He won't be here for a long while. I think we'll manage to finish the book."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, we don't have very long to go-"

"I meant your uncle." Katara sat down opposite Zuko, crossing her legs. "I'm not saying we're doing anything… _wrong_," she finished sternly, upon seeing his amused expression. "But will your uncle disapprove?"

"He won't – heck, he likes you much more than Mai."

"Your reunion was successful after all," said Katara wryly, but unable to conceal her pleasure.

"Mmm." Zuko stretched his legs out, lying down so that he could prop himself up on one elbow, facing her. With his free hand, he slid the book over to her and flashed a grin. "Remember, I share a tent with your overprotective brother, you share with Suki and Toph, and there are old men crawling around that feed off of young, epic romances. If that's not justification, I don't know what is. Shall we begin?"

Katara rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Of course, Your Majesty." She flipped open the book to where they had left off; she did not know, however, what it meant to Zuko to complete the book, for he had not told her specifically what he and Iroh discussed earlier on…

"'_Princess Shao swallowed. "I have made my decision."_

"'_The Princess told her people how important her duty was. Chief Leng agreed and opened his arms to allow her into his embrace, but Shao turned to look upon the lone, familiar figure on the bridge. She looked at her Ran for strength as she gave up her normal life for the love of the young man who was special to her and to whom she was also special. She told them all of her love for Ran._

"'"_To love a soul as I love Ran is the purest and deepest of all emotions. I would not bear it if we were ripped apart. Forgive me, for I will not be condemned to your freedom which is my imprisonment._

"'"_Dear Father, may this tribe thrive under your mighty rule. Genial Tiro, may you encounter a love requited and strong as the shoulders of the mountains holding up our fair skies. Dishonest Kei Rin, may your victory today be your ultimate realization of the cruelty of your ways. I pray that as my family you would see me in a better light now that I, your greatest obstacle, have yielded, and that you would learn a better persona. My people, may the Spirits of our marvelous nation be with you always._

"'"_It is time for my departure. Do respect me more regardless of my possession of the Cold Fire and my love for the only being that has seen me with unconditioned eyes. Farewell!"_

"'_Princess Shao spread her arms and let the wind carry her cloak from her shoulders. Her hands began a gliding dance in the air, twisting in circles and spirals until – behold! Sparks of ice blue like her eyes crackled at her fingertips as she curled her hands through the air until long ribbons of Cold Fire were twining around her arms and nimble body, decorating her beautiful royal form like garlands. With lovely gentle movements she brought her hands together, the people watching in amazement as her lithe dance ended. A thick branch of brilliant Cold Fire erupted from her hands and to the awe of all who watched she was propelled high into the air, the wind and Cold Fire carrying her to her freedom._

"'_And that freedom was love._

"'_As she landed before her lover the Celestial Dragons shot out from their retreats within the mountain caves. Neither Ran nor Shao had any fear, and with remnants of Cold Fire on her fingers and Hot Fire on his fingers they brought their hands together, holding tightly. They shared a tender, fearless kiss as the Dragons swooped down on them, brandishing fire on their forked tongues and roaring fiercely. The couple was encased in a blazing sanctuary of many colours, but the cocoon around them was closing in and they would soon be burned – the Celestial Dragons were only to brand their wrists with Fire Rings but this spectacle was unknown to the lovers. Had the Dragons changed their minds and decided to kill them?_

"'_But the lovers kissed their fear away lovingly and made a promise to remain together for eternity. If it was too late for them to marry, they would try to bind their hearts in the best way possible. The fire walls closed in on them and set them alight, and like torches they stood on the bridge. Below them the people were panicked, for this was unusual behaviour for the Celestial Dragons and they worried for their fellows._

"'_However there was no reason for the people to worry – for instead of feeling torturous fire eating at their flesh the two felt a strange, tickling sensation dancing over their skin, while a soft, warm feeling bloomed beneath. Opening their eyes as their faces were close and lips touching, a blinding light shone between them, growing, and soon waved over all the people – perhaps over the world. From that day forth Ran and Shao's light would be called the Guhuo Guang and was a day the Sun Warrior Tribe would celebrate every year, but nobody would ever see that remarkable thing again. For into that light disappeared the two golden Celestial Dragons, and from it emerged two dragons – one red and one blue, intertwined like rivers of satin. They soared upwards into the gold sky and twirled together above the clouds, and plummeted gracefully back to the bridge of their rebirth. _

"'_For the dragons were Ran and Shao, liberated and happy and respectable, and they breathed fire of many more colours than the Celestial Dragons, including the Cold Fire. Thus Ran and Shao became Dragon Masters, chosen to live for ages to come. The people bowed as Ran and Shao danced, fire shining out in radiant colours. As Mingxing grew to admire their Dragon Masters more than royalty, none would ever forget the true, sorrowful happenings in their love that made them into dragons. The Dragon Masters forgave the people for their ill treatment of them. For their life together, as dragons, had begun, and that meant they would leave behind the woes of their lonely human lives. _

"'_And so concludes a story of the affairs of the heart – the bittersweet tale of Princess Shao and her humble Ran. The Love Amongst the Dragons.'"_

Katara finished reading the last line in a whisper, and softly, she closed the cover, eyes lingering on the quaint, attractive cover – the two dragons spiraling upwards from a border in an intricate design like the ornate shutter of a window, _Love Amongst the Dragons_ painted on the caramel background in a thick black brush. "Zuko?" she uttered hoarsely. Glancing up, she saw that he was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling of the tent. "Zuko, were you listening?"

He blinked and sat up, rubbing his head. "Yeah. That was… phenomenal. My uncle said that their story is a true one. That means Aang and I received teachings from the same Ran and Shao in the book…" He shook his head, cracking a faint smile as if he could not comprehend it. "That magic…"

"It's amazing," she breathed, beaming. "Even more now that you told me it's all real. Zuko… that was a beautiful book." She set it beside her and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. We both read it together."

She pursed her lips. "But it's your book. I'm being polite. Just accept it." Before he could say another word, she leaned in and pressed a dainty kiss on his scarred cheek – and at that precise moment, the flap of the tent was whisked back to reveal Iroh standing in the entrance.

The old man raised his eyebrows, cheeks pinking as Katara pulled back with an astonished look. "Pardon me! I was coming to tell you that dinner is ready… and… we have much to discuss about tomorrow's strategy." There was a pause, in which Iroh stayed grinning uncomfortably in the entrance, Katara's hand remained on Zuko's shoulder, and Zuko pulled his face into an annoyed scowl.

"Uncle!" he ground out.

"Right, right, I'm sorry." Iroh backed away. "I'll leave now. Forgive me for interrupting, nephew – and sweet Katara, of course!"

Katara dropped her hand after Iroh left and, crossing her arms over her chest, she raised an eyebrow at Zuko. His face changed from the scowl into a mischievous smirk. "What, are you worried that he thought we were about to do something _wrong_?"

* * *

The walk to the shore was only a short, eastward journey to the edge of the camp, anxiety and anticipation churning. Simply waking up that morning had been overwhelming, for the sky was already tinted a brilliant shade of amber, as if the sun had burst and spilled its contents, staining the clouds. It was a telltale sign of the impending arrival of Sozin's Comet. Team Avatar stood on the beach sand, staring at the horizon, thinking about the final battle out of which would emerge a new world – either theirs, or Ozai's.

Suki's fingers, interlinked with Sokka's, tightened; eyes fixed on the sky, his hand drifted towards Toph's – her hands were clean, for this could possibly be the last time she would get to hold any of her friends close, and she clutched on; at the same time, she and Katara lifted their hands and they connected instantly, interlocking so strongly and desperately that their hands shook; lastly, Zuko's calloused hand brushed hers, tracing over her knuckles before slipping down so that their palms met, slender fingers interweaving. And so Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and Suki stood on the beach as the White Lotus members buzzed around them, dressed in battle gear, united for one last time before they went their separate ways and fought as hard as they could in order to come together again. They closed their eyes, breathing deeply as one, praying that Aang was all right wherever he was, and that they would see him again. They prayed that everyone fighting for freedom in this battle would live to see another day. They prayed for each other, trying to comfort each other and chase away any fear, mustering up enough courage to open their eyes again.

Most of all, they prayed that this day would be victorious. As a light wind of dawn greeted them again, they let go, not giving in to negative thoughts, and let the White Lotus members approach them.

"Now remember, as we discussed the previous evening, we each have a job to do," said Iroh, a commanding tone in his voice, changed from the friendly old rumble and into that of strategy, power, and perseverance. "Sokka?"

Sokka nodded once. "Suki, Toph and I will take care of the airships and dreadnoughts. We're going to destroy all of them before they destroy the Earth Kingdom. We're basically delivering a blow to the military. If we find Aang, we'll do our best to help."

"And you, Zuko?"

"Katara and I are paying a visit to the Fire Palace, and once we're there, we're going to take down Azula."

"Correct." Iroh breathed deeply and closed his eyes. "I sense the Comet – it will be a while before it arrives. We must depart at once if we are to be in time." He gave them a firm, optimistic smile. "I wish each of you good luck. I don't only speak for myself when I say that I have insurmountable faith in you and in the return of the Avatar – he will know what to do when he faces the Fire Lord, as Destiny has dictated."

Zuko smiled knowingly and clasped his arms around his uncle. "Good luck, Uncle. Win back Ba Sing Se."

After pulling apart, Iroh regarded them. "All of you – this is your generation. Your world to protect and guide. I can only help, but it is your time now and it might be reminiscent of the golden age before anything was wrong with the world." He gripped the others' hands in a kind farewell. "Time is now pressing. Good luck, and have courage in your hearts, and keep as safe as possible. May we all succeed and live to see this better day I have told you about!"

Iroh retreated with a final assuring smile, moving away to join the scores of White Lotus members gathered on the beach. Pakku and Piandao escorted them to the very edge of the shore, where Appa and an eel hound were waiting for them. Sokka helped Toph up into the saddle, grimacing when the creature gave a deep-throated bark. "Are you sure this thing won't, oh, I don't know, _eat_ us?"

"Quite sure," answered Piandao. He pressed a hand to Sokka's shoulder. "Make me proud, Sokka. And for the love of all that is good, don't lose your sword!"

Sokka grinned and puffed out his chest, attempting to look mighty. "I won't disappoint you, master." He turned to Pakku. "Or you, Gramp-Gramp!"

"We agreed that 'Pakku' would be fine," responded the old man flatly, before the corner of this mouth lifted and he shook Sokka's hand. "But good luck, all the same."

Sokka turned to climb onto the saddle, when he was stopped by a soft hand on his arm. Turning, he beheld Katara's monstrous scowl. "Did you really think you'd get away without saying goodbye to your own sister?"

"Well, I thought it was part of an optimism act."

She rolled her eyes and snorted. "Whatever. But…" She broke off and threw her arms around his neck; Sokka laughed softly, trying to reassure her, winding an arm around her back. "Stay safe, Sokka," she whispered. "If you don't, I'll force-feed you Hama's makeshift five-flavour s-soup…"

He jerked back, surveying her worriedly. "Don't get emotional now," he murmured, smiling encouragingly. "It's going to be all right."

Katara rearranged her expression with difficulty, struggling to assume a collected countenance once again. "I'm sorry. I just can't help it – we've all come really far and I think we're going to do well, but… And you and Dad…"

"But it's your job to worry about us." Toph, both hands fastened to the eel hound's saddle, gave a half-smile. "And you've gotten really into it."

Katara blushed and went over to Toph, touching her hand. "As for you, I hope I don't have to remind you to brush your teeth before bed from now on."

"Hey, so, I get that this is all really touching and we just love each other so much and stuff, but we're supposed to hurry," interrupted Zuko impatiently before Toph could respond, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "We have to get going. You guys… travel safely." He paused to gaze at them for a moment. "And do your best."

"Sure thing, Moody Sparky Firebreath!"

He and Katara went to Appa after bowing respectfully to Piandao and Pakku. As the two men left them, Zuko glanced over his shoulder to see Sokka helping Suki onto the eel hound's saddle behind Toph. He grazed his teeth over his lower lip and, in the blink of an eye, snatched Katara's wrist before she could clamber into Appa's saddle. She stopped, a question in her eyes. "Sokka, wait!" called Zuko. The Water Tribe warrior paused after climbing up in front of Toph, one hand gripping the eel hound's reins, other hand resting atop his wolf helmet. Zuko allowed himself a glimmer of enthusiasm. "We have something to tell you."

Katara, unsure what exactly he was referring to, ventured a small protest. "Zuko-"

But she was cut off when Zuko's lips pressed firmly to hers, his grip softening so that he held her hand caressingly, free hand resting lightly on her furiously flushing cheek. Katara felt herself instinctively relax, accustomed to the affectionate familiarity – but she was also frozen in shock and bewilderment and nervousness, and it was difficult to thaw her. Her eyelids fluttered, not fully closing over her wide eyes. _W-What is he doing? What am _I_ doing? Is this… is this even the time to do this? Oh, Spirits…_ Her mind was helplessly screaming. The kiss took only a moment, sweet but not passionate and fiery like many of their kisses were… yet to her it felt as though it lasted a lifetime.

"Uh, why is everyone quiet? What's going on? I can't exactly see anything, so it'd be nice…"

Before she knew it, Zuko had pulled back and given her a fresh, relieved smile, resting his forehead against hers for a few seconds, holding back his dawning amusement at her surprised expression. And then he was looking at the group on the eel hound and saying something that sounded like, "Best of luck. We'll meet back at the Fire Palace, all right?" But it seemed muffled in her ears – her heart was pounding, whether from her feelings for this one boy or from nerves at being revealed so abruptly. Then Zuko was literally carrying her up into Appa's saddle and seating himself at Appa's reins, lifting a hand in farewell. Katara managed to turn to stare at them with glassy eyes and, except for Toph, their faces were mirror images of hers – eyes like saucers, gaping mouths. Katara closed her mouth, swallowing, frantically trying to fathom what they were thinking – but then Suki's face softened into a smile.

"I always had a feeling there was something else," she commented ambiguously. "But now it's confirmed. Well done, you two!" And her mischievous smile broke into a grin.

"Hey, what _happened_?" exclaimed Toph. "Was it Zuko and Katara? Did they tell? Wait… what did they do?"

"Come on, Sokka," called Suki, reaching over to tug Sokka's arm.

The eel hound scraped its foot on the ground, eager for departure. Sokka glared at them past the metal of his helmet and heaved a great sigh. "Of course, I wanna know how long it's been going on for and what exactly the nature of the relationship is…" he went on in an obnoxious tone, before breaking into a cheerful chuckle. "But you know what? _Flameo_."

And, as relief surged over him and the waterbender, Zuko cracked the reins, leading Appa into the air with a roar. The last things they heard as they went to battle was Sokka's simple word of approval and Toph's shrill voice: "Aw, come on! Is nobody gonna keep the blind girl posted?"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Gosh, yet _another_ long chapter! I figured you wouldn't mind a long chapter since it's been such a long time. I hope it wasn't too disappointing? The chapters after this will probably shorten to the usual length (i.e. way below 9 000 words).**

**In case you're wondering about Ran and Shao's "sorrowful" thing going on… I think it's pretty rough if no one can accept you as who you are, and only when you turn into awesome dragons, they see where you were coming from… So that's why it's "sorrowful" and "bittersweet" and whatnot. And if you can't remember, Zuko and Katara's _Love Amongst the Dragons_ began with "And so begins a story of the affairs of the heart". Just mentioning for interest.**

**Thank you so much for your reviews! :D I honestly think they are wonderful and encouraging, and I'm extremely, terribly sorry for taking so long to update (for those of you that were still waiting). A lot has been going on in the big scary real world and I haven't had the time or inspiration for writing, and I couldn't bring myself to deliver you something half-baked and totally meaningless. But I've been flexing some creative juices as exercise (practice on my OCs, you see) and I hope I'll be able to finish this thang before October! :D Oh gosh, cross your fingers! '-_- **

**Thanks a ton for reading this! And a huge thank you for the alerts – I really appreciate them! :) I hope you won't have to stay tuned too long for the next chapter…**

**P.S. And as for who called Zuko "Moody Sparky Firebreath"… that's for you to decide. ;P**


	22. The Arrival

**A/N: Good lord. I just read my note from the last chapter and I feel extremely stoopid. But I think we all knew, deep down, that I wouldn't "finish this thang" before October.**

**But anyway…**

**I AM BACK. :D And it's 2013. Like, about halfway through. Let me just say that life happened - it's a very important year and it literally begins to determine my future. Dried-up inspiration and feeling lame are very common. =w= I originally started this chapter last year, but opening it up this year, I pretty much hated what I'd done so far, so… I RE-DID THE WHOLE THING. Woo! Okay, new chapter *activate*.**

**P.S. I have an important question in the end note. I neeeeed answers and opinions. D: Some feedback, pretty please?**

**Disclaimer: Nothing copyrighted is owned by this procrastinator. **

* * *

**Chapter 22: The Arrival**

* * *

"Did you think that the sky would be this… orange?"

The corner of Zuko's mouth quirked upwards as he glanced back into the saddle, where Katara glared at the sky. "Not really. The colour of the sky doesn't normally trump powerful, unsurpassable firebending."

She did not hear him. "I never would've thought something terrible, something that's going to be used to kill millions of people, could be so beautiful." Katara's expression of puzzlement dissolved into anger, her brow furrowing deeper with each word. It was true - the swathes of magnificent colour, fiery orange shot through with amber and streaks of red here and there, flurried all around them as Appa transported them to the Fire Palace. She could have spent a long time merely gazing at the sky if it were not for the impending battle. "It makes me sick, but I can't help thinking that."

Zuko sensed her unease, accordingly adjusting his position on the bison's head in order to partially face her. "What's wrong?" The darkness in her tone reminded him of when they confronted Yon Rha; it seemed a world away, back on Rongyan Shui, when the most vibrant colours in the sky had been those brought on by Teisuu… From then on, he knew that he wanted nothing to harm her, nothing to cause that darkness in her tone again.

She looked at him, her face constricted in a frown, until she sighed and pressed her palms to her cheeks. "No," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Come here." Without opening her eyes, she slid over to the front of the saddle and draped her arms over the rim. He observed her for a long moment, before lifting her chin and gently saying, "Open your eyes." She did, slowly, blinking as her blue orbs locked onto his golden ones. He continued to gaze at her, idly trailing his fingers along her smooth, warm cheek. Suddenly, he brought his face close to hers and pressed a brief kiss to her lips, before he raised his voice and said, "Now stop being ridiculous." With that, he drew away and grasped the reins again, facing the sky ahead and focusing his attention on steering Appa.

Meanwhile, Katara pursed her lips, a flat expression on her face. "Well, thanks for the comfort, Sparky. You're really into that nowadays, aren't you - the surprise-kissing?"

"Don't deny the joy that it brings you."

Grateful that he could not see the resultant blush on her cheeks, Katara folded her arms. "Your kisses aren't that good, anyway," she said with a sniff.

Zuko gave a low, incredibly suggestive chuckle. "Whatever you say."

Katara swiveled so that her back faced him, in case he happened to glance over his shoulder and see that her cheeks were a violent red. "I'm still waiting for that surprise-kiss explanation you promised, just so you know." After the kiss that revealed them to the others, Katara had not been angry at all - in fact, she was just as relieved and liberated as he was, having finally shaken off the shadows and immersed themselves in the daylight of the world, even though he had simply told her that the full explanation would be made later. She was content enough to feel the way she did without an immediate formal reason - but she did not know that, aside from it being lengthy, he was much too delighted and refreshed - as giddy as Zuko could be - to plunge into it and relay every detail properly. But oh, he did not know that it was precisely those feelings of hers which made her accept the delay.

"When I said later, I meant _after_ we duel Azula."

Unconsciously, Katara drew her arms tighter around herself, shoulders tensing. "Right." She was extremely pleased about the solidification of their relationship, yes, but another, darker feeling roiled inside…

Zuko ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. We weren't meant to go back to that topic for a while-"

"Thank you for trying to distract me," said Katara lightly, allowing a small smile. "It's just… It's not that I'm scared we won't succeed. I have faith in us all. But I'm starting to feel like I'm really unprepared for this Comet and the changes it's going to bring. Worse, I don't even know what the changes will be… Plus, I have this feeling that something is going to go wrong, and it won't go away."

"You couldn't be more prepared, Katara," said Zuko, expressing his honest belief with certainty. "You're the most organized person I know - you could even rival Azula, but you're more sensible than her. I think you need to admit to yourself that you are nervous, even slightly. I am. It would be insanity if you weren't."

She gave a bitter, humourless laugh. "Who knew the sky would be orange?"

He narrowed his eyes in thought. "Answer some questions for me, then. Do you believe that Sokka, Toph and Suki can do this - that they will succeed in bringing down those airships and saving the Earth Kingdom?"

She frowned, wondering why he had selected this question. "Yes."

"Do you believe that my uncle and the rest of the Order of the White Lotus will succeed in their efforts?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you also believe Aang will rise to the occasion? Do you think he will face the Fire Lord and win, and not abandon us because of a bunch of nerves? Do you trust him?"

"Yes, Zuko, yes!" She twisted around, gaping at him in bewilderment. "Of course I trust Aang, and of course I believe he can do this! I'm scared for him like I'm scared for all of us, but I do trust him! _Why_ are you asking me these questions?"

Abruptly, Zuko released the reins and swung over into the saddle, walking to her steadily and kneeling down. He took her firmly by the shoulders, his eyes piercing hers - even if she wanted to look away, she would not have been able to. "If you trust all these people and have faith in them and believe that they can do it, then you should believe in yourself to. We are all under the same conditions, and if you are able to trust in them, then you can trust in yourself to. Feel free to have fear or nerves or whatever you want to call it, but you need to trust yourself. You just told me you trusted that Aang wouldn't back down because of nerves, so that means you need to do the same for yourself, otherwise that would make you a liar.

"I chose you to come with me because of how capable you are, Katara, not only because you are who I want to be with at the end of this all - whether that end means death, or victory and freedom." He let go of her shoulders, reaching down to cover her hands with his, his voice dropping in volume as though he were confessing a secret. "Your optimism is something I admire about you. Please don't let it be smothered by thoughts of what happens afterwards. What happens, happens. Hopefully it will be in our favour, but pondering about what it is exactly? That's going to have a negative impact on you. You're tough, so don't you dare let these things change your mindset."

Katara licked her lips and swallowed, stunned but touched. "I hope you're not trying to take my place as the group optimist," she managed.

"I'm not an optimist - I'm a hardcore pessimist and sometime realist, and I'm telling you the truth."

She smiled and looked down at their interlinked fingers. She could not express how grateful she was that he was firm about this, not because he was harsh, but because it was an adamant concern and belief of his - where she doubted herself, just as she had once doubted the authenticity of their relationship, he did not. His earnestness, truthfulness and ability to see when she could not… They once more chased away her doubts of the future, yet… "Thank you, Zuko." She squeezed his hands. "I feel a lot better, but for some reason I can't shake this one, gut feeling…"

"Then let it be an extra motivation for us to triumph over Azula," he said, lifting the corner of his mouth.

"Zuko…" She lifted her eyes slowly, her grip on his hands turning desperate. "Promise me that you'll be careful."

He was unsure as to why her words took him aback, a slight breath parting his lips. While he had spoken, he had seen the steel return to her eyes, the clarity of mind and iron spirit. It had been such a relief for him to see these exquisite qualities of hers freed from that momentary eclipse; the momentary feelings of anxiety over what the results of the battle would be. But the expression buried in her eyes now - it was genuine fear. Fear for him. "I will," he promised.

"Good." The expression melted away into something more light-hearted, her grip loosening. "Now since you're doing such an awful job of steering Appa, I'll take over from here."

* * *

They neared the Capital City of the Fire Nation, the looming Great Gates of Azulon ablaze as they swooped over them. It was probably around noon, but the colour of the sky concealed the true time with an illusion of smouldering twilight. The colour had gradually deepened, hinting that Sozin's Comet would be arriving at any moment. Zuko had felt it mildly in the morning, sensed it, allowed it to create the lightest stirrings of power in his blood - it had affected him just enough to refresh him. Then the reveal of his and Katara's relationship was also euphoric, adding to the effect of the Comet. But now he could feel something peaking inside him. Now… he felt stronger.

"It's close then, isn't it?" asked Katara from her perch on Appa's head.

He jerked, snapped from a trance he did not recall stepping into. "How did you know?"

"I noticed the sky changing, but I can hear it in your breathing. You started taking deep breaths a while ago, so I just assumed. What does it feel like?" she asked curiously.

"It's not here yet but even this close, it's exhilarating. I can't imagine how it will feel when it fully arrives." He drew in another breath. "And as for the breathing - I feel like I need it for control and to absorb it all. I can't be losing my mind because I'm overwhelmed with power." He paused. "Although I do have a feeling it's making a certain Fire Lord very excited."

"Yeah. I wonder what it'd be like for Aang, being the Avatar and all."

Zuko shrugged. "He's a firebender as any-"

"Hey, he's also a waterbender."

"Please don't tell me we're revisiting this argument."

Katara laughed. "My apologies, Your Highness."

"As I was saying, he counts as a normal firebender, even though he's the Avatar, so there might be a difference in scale but it's probably the same sensation. Just like his waterbending would be more powerful if there was a full moon," added Zuko.

"Oh, I'm so thankful for the mention."

"The pleasure is all mine, Sweetness."

Katara rolled her eyes. "Hmph. I won't even comment." But it was that act of rolling her eyes which made her spot an important thing as they flew above the harbour: An enormous steam ship, perhaps bigger than Azula's, was loaded with crates each stamped with the Fire insignia. "Zuko! Take a look at that, down there."

He moved to the front of the saddle. "A cargo ship. The biggest I've ever seen."

"What do you think the cargo is?"

"Whether it's food or weapons, it's definitely to supply the armies. And that means we have to stop it."

"But it's _huge_ - we'll never get it in one shot. More shots would mean attracting their attention and wearing ourselves out before we take on Azula. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

Katara turned to him with a daring expression. "How about we give our duobending some practice?"

Zuko nodded slowly. "Mmm. And here I was thinking it only served to make us look sexy. Let's do it." He rose to his feet. "This is going to be exciting."

"Appa, bring us lower," said Katara to the flying bison as she clambered into the saddle. "Steady, boy!" With the ease of a master, Katara drew water up from the sea in the form of two long, thick snakes enveloping her arms, larger than her routine water tentacles - the magnitude of the ship would require it.

When she was finished gathering seawater, Zuko leaned down and gave a tug on the reins with one hand. "Up again, boy." Responding with a groan, the bison lifted into the sky, slightly lower than their position at arrival in order to be closer to the ship.

Zuko breathed deeply once again, falling into a firebending stance behind Katara, who stood firmly, ready to shoot her spear of water. With one last inhalation, Zuko drew his arms to his chest; it was akin to the tensing of a bow before the arrow's release. Exhalation - and he punched out his right arm, heaving forth a powerful stream of blazing hot flames. His eyes travelled along it, vision engulfed by fire until a shining snake of pure blue twisted around it, racing with the fire, razor-sharp and a concentration of power of the waterbender beside him. Oh, he could feel her presence all too well, influenced by it even as his fire dominated his path of sight. But, without anticipating it, Zuko felt… rather strange. As though he were choking, his even breathing thinning and becoming panicked. It began to show in the column of flame he was sustaining - it appeared to be growing weaker the further it went.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" he heard Katara asking - but she sounded as if she were a distance away, her voice muffled by his own heartbeat and breathing. Dimly, he recounted his words from a few moments ago:

_I can't be losing my mind because I'm overwhelmed with power._

In barely a minute, this alien weakness had overcome him, but now it made sense - of course, if his hasty theory proved correct. Before he had more time to think, however, breath surged into his lungs as normally and deeply as it had previously, and as for his fire… Without urging more power into it, it grew and intensified in heat and size - exponentially. He heard a faint thud beneath the sound of coursing flame, and looked down to find that Katara had fallen to the floor of the saddle, gawking at the fire flowing from his fist. She was drenched in water; he then registered that his fire had consumed the water contributing to their duobending, and was in the process of effectively reducing the ship to a crisp by itself. Finally, he stopped, staring in amazement at the destroyed vessel.

"Well…" he managed, his face the picture of wonder. "It looks like Sozin's Comet has arrived at last."

Katara pushed herself to her feet, pulling the water from her hair and clothes with a sweep of her arm. She gingerly stepped over the charred edge of the saddle and slid onto Appa's head, taking up the reins and giving them a snap, steering them in the direction of the Fire Palace atop the volcano. "That was… _fantastic_," she breathed, and Zuko felt a smile poking at his mouth as he seated himself on the saddle's floor.

"Not as bad as you thought it was before?"

"Not really, I guess."

* * *

Katara had had a few notions about what Azula would be doing - sitting atop a throne for hours on end with that maddening smile on her lips, frightening young children, or executing servants for putting peas on her plate. Perhaps not very realistic, but Katara had certainly not imagined that Azula would be ascending the throne of the Fire Nation.

It had been surprisingly easy to track down the princess, there being no need to dismount Appa. As the bison had swerved between the main towers, banners attached to long poles and a blast of electric blue fire could be seen rising from one of the spacious courtyards. Upon seeing the tongue of unusual flame, Katara flicked the reins, urging Appa toward the courtyard. As they approached, she saw Azula shouting, in an uncommonly shrill voice, at an elderly Fire Sage holding up the banner to her right; the Sage supporting the banner on her left watched nervously as she rose from her mounted throne and tossed more blue fire at his counterpart's banner, setting it alight.

A slight, momentary panic rose up in Katara, resulting in her arms inadvertently jerking the reins as Appa swept lower; his landing in the middle of the grimy, battered courtyard was not smooth. This seemed to amuse Azula as she seated herself on the throne once more - if she had been surprised by their arrival, she had been quick to recover, or quick to hide it. Still, it was apparent that something was wrong - from her crudely shorn, dishevelled hair to the untamed look in her eyes. Katara did not know what to make of it.

The blue fires burning in the lamps attached to each pillar in the courtyard cast shadows on the pointed hats of the five Fire Sages; the light reflected off the polished gold plating of Azula's black formal armour, worn beneath a rich scarlet cloak held closed with a flame-shaped brooch beneath her throat. The sky had darkened to red, and coupled with the electric blue of Azula's fire in the candelabras, the lighting in the courtyard was ample but ominous. Adding to this effect was the neglected state of the courtyard itself, as though nobody had bothered to prepare it for Azula's coronation. Katara was not a snob, but she would have expected a display of extravagance for the royal event. Instead, it seemed dilapidated and smelled dank, the corpse of something once ringing with grandeur. The ambience sent a cold shiver bounding across Katara's skin and up her spine, summoning goosebumps along the way.

"Wait," barked Azula, lifting a hand to stop another Sage from placing the crown of the Fire Lord on her head. Her eyes, a darker shade of gold than Zuko's, regarded them carefully, dangerously. "Oh my," she said blandly, cocking her head to the side. Her lips curled into a smile. "It's so lovely that my big brother could drop in for my coronation. But oh… He brought a peasant. Is she going to clean up after we've finished?"

Katara scowled, clutching harder onto the reins to prevent herself from leaping down and clouting her with a chunk of ice. She whipped around, spared of wrathful thoughts, when Zuko pushed out of the saddle to land on the brick floor of the courtyard, marching to the foot of the stone stairs emplacing Azula's throne. The remaining two Fire Sages, positioned a step lower than the throne, retreated to stand next to the Sages clasping the banners with their wrinkled, shaking hands.

Zuko glared up at her. "Leave her out of this, Azula-"

Azula leaned forward, her eyes wide and clear. "Katara, is it?"

Zuko huffed. "_Enough_! What are you doing here?"

Suddenly she shifted her eyes to him, without turning her head, peering down her nose with that same glassy look. "I have already said that this is my coronation you're interrupting, brother. Unless you aren't aware of what a coronation is?"

"Where's Ozai?" he demanded, unfazed. "And your followers? It doesn't seem like your coronation is very official."

And then Katara's scowl dissolved into a frown, because Azula's abnormal behaviour lapsed into what was considered normal for her: She assumed a haughty, cool expression and casually studied her nails as she responded in a tone that matched. "Father is on his way to the Earth Kingdom to burn it to the ground. And since he is now the Phoenix King, _ruler_ of the _entire world_," she elaborated proudly, her demeanour changing once more as she grasped the arms of the chair, "there is _no_ hindrance blocking my _rightful_ place on the throne of the Fire Nation!"

Zuko snorted. "How nice. Now where are your followers? Coronations are usually more publicised." She did not reply, but there was a visible tightening in her mouth and her fingers twitched restlessly on the arms of the black-and-scarlet throne. Zuko narrowed his eyes, looking to the calm Fire Sage holding the crown with its five sharp crescents of pure gold. "I command you to tell me where the audiences are, and if this ceremony is official."

The Fire Sage warily glanced down at Azula; he was not as calm as he portrayed. "It is not my place, sir."

Zuko continued to pierce the man with his unwavering gaze. "As prince, I command you."

The old man gulped, taking a slight step away from Azula's side. "My apologies, Y-Your Highness," he corrected. "All of Princess Azula's followers have been banished or imprisoned. This ceremony is, indeed, official and very auspicious." He bowed and drew back to stand with his colleagues, who had moved into the shadows - a makeshift shelter, perhaps? - of an archway at the top of the stairs.

"Not official anymore," murmured Zuko to himself, and then more loudly: "Azula, I challenge you to an Agni Kai for the throne of the Fire Nation."

Her lips trembled and, unexpectedly, she broke into a bout of harsh laughter. "Oh, please. You've never been able to best me at firebending. Our great-grandfather's Comet is finally here, a much-anticipated phenomenon, but don't let that blow your confidence out of proportion. Just as you did on the day of the solar eclipse," she added tauntingly.

"If you're not at all bothered, there's no reason you can't accept the challenge."

She rose to her feet, a poisonous smile stretching her too-red lips. "Very well, brother. Agni Kai! Just you and me - the battle that we _always_ knew was meant to be!"

At that, Katara shook her head. "Zuko," she hissed, beckoning him closer. "We didn't agree on this," she whispered frantically. "We said we'd fight her together. This is what she wants - to separate us so that she can pick us off. It's easier for her this way."

"It would've come to this either way," he said. "But I don't think this was a bad move - do you sense it? The change?"

Katara kept her head inclined but flicked her eyes upwards to glance at the other girl. "She does seem really… different. Crazier than usual. No finesse or anything."

Zuko nodded. "Exactly. Something isn't right with her - she's slipping, and that's to our advantage."

Although Katara forced herself to keep her eyes glued to Zuko's, the pin-prick chills parading over her skin told her that Azula was watching them intently; the waterbender resisted whirling around and snapping at her, instead electing to slide down so she stood beside Zuko, partly obscured by Appa's beige fur. She knew no good would come of lashing out - her wordplay could never outmatch Azula's. But in the princess' current state of mind… was it possible? Many things seemed possible with her now. It was blatantly evident in her appearance alone that her mind was off-kilter. As a rule, Azula was perfect - nails manicured accurately; tasteful and excellently coordinated clothing; lips tinted with just the right shade of ruby; skin like flawless marble; and all strands of ebony hair secured in a topknot which was, quite likely, at the exact centre of her head. But now… her hair was uncombed and cut haphazardly, as if the blade itself had not been sharp enough; and the cloak draped over her crooked formal armour was not as regal as it should have been - if one considered the way she stood, with shoulders squared to the point of straining and a gleeful, devious grin on her face, she looked like a mean little girl wrapped in a towel. It was downright uncanny, and her erratic, lopsided behaviour only contributed to it.

Katara knew that it might be simpler this way, that she would be easier to defeat - but she could not help but feel a pang of pity for Azula's condition, whatever had happened to her. She could not rejoice in it, though it was… "That's horrible, but true." …horribly, terribly, awfully true. Allowing herself one more glance at the princess, Katara sighed. "I don't know… I still think this will make her more unpredictable. More dangerous even though she might be sloppy. I just…"

"Hey." Zuko enveloped her hand within his own. "I know. It's going to be fine."

When he squeezed her hand, she had not realised it was cold until the warmth of his calloused skin seeped into hers. Her breath shuddered out as she gripped his hand tightly. "Okay, do it - take her down. But remember I told you-"

"I will, I _also_ already told you-"

"_Zuko_." She looked at him, her lips pressed thinly, in that moment wishing to communicate just how much she cared for him and the extent to which her foreboding feelings inside influenced her, wishing to express messages that would not arrive at her lips. They would all be fighting hard, they would all be risking themselves, they were dear to her and she loved them; they had to act cautiously… Yet all she could physically say, in a faint whisper, was: "Just be careful."

A tender, silent moment passed between them. "I promised that I will, Katara… But I want _you_ to be careful too. Don't forget about yourself - you know I can't." With that, he pressed his lips to her forehead, eyes fluttering for a sheer, precious second, before he left her touch and turned away. He faced his younger sister once more as Katara guided Appa off to the side of the courtyard, unbeknownst to him lost in contemplation of his words. Zuko's eyes flashed, and he moved to the opposite end of the courtyard.

Princess Azula, meanwhile, lazily glided down the stone steps, her hand resting on the brooch at her throat. She chuckled as Zuko pivoted and fell into his signature stance - the stance he always used, the stance she always beat. What fools they were, thinking they could challenge her and make her wait longer until the Fire Lord's crown sat comfortably on her head. She would punish them for this, oh yes, she would; make them _burn_ for testing her patience. She would give them a grand final battle, one that they would remember even after they took their first steps into the afterlife.

Azula grinned, unclasping her brooch with a flick of her thumb and flinging her cloak to the side, splaying her hands in front of her. She ran her tongue over her lips, knowing that they were all - including the Water Tribe scum - awaiting the flurry of flames in which the Agni Kai would begin.

"Oh, Zuzu!" she cooed. "It's time to make our forefathers proud…"

* * *

**A/N:**

**Oooh, shivers! OwO The battle begins… NEXT TIME. **

**Yes, typical Zuko, ambiguous even in desperate times. :P To make things easier, I'm just going to tell you now what he means, if you didn't make sense of it: He's pretty much saying that he wants her to be careful because he's worried about her getting hurt and not taking care of herself, due to being busy worrying about everyone else; and the "he can't forget about her" thing reveals that he is just as worried about her safety as she has shown about his. Yeah, forgive my warped wording - I was trying to be Zuko-esque yet uncheesy and I don't know if it worked. XD**

**But guys, seriously, I feel really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really stupid. Like, really. Please forgive me.**

**Thank you all so much for your reviews, alerts, favourites and PMs demanding to know what happened to me! I hope I haven't driven off too many of you. =w= Thank you for bearing with me.**

**Now, the important question:**** If a oneshot can be interpreted as a metaphor for sex, should I rate it M or not? I really don't know, and I think it's quite an obvious metaphor (or maybe my mind is just filthy) but it's not a LEMON OMG. So for a simple yes/no answer you can go to the poll on my profile, or if you are lazy/have advice/extra opinions/questions, let me know here or via a PM. :) **

**And finally, another round of exams has finished, and I always feel more inspired during exam period (also really stupid) so I've done some writing! :DDD I've completed **_**Slices of Ocean Kumquat**_** (my Zutara Week 2011 entries), and I'm busy with a bunch of Zutara projects (including the aforementioned pseudo-lemon). Do have a look, if and when you can. O3O And please support my other recently updated Zutara fic, **_**A Vow of Faith**_**! It has a villainous Zuko and a Katara aiming to bring about his redemption, and in the words of Azula, _I just love it_. :3 I've also done a bunch of depressing poems, but you don't need nightmares, so never mind about those.**

**Until next chapter! :D**


	23. If I Fall Here

**A/N: If you like action and fighting and fire, you're in luck! There's plenty of all that in this chapter. Maybe some water, too… ;) Now is the perfect time to mention what I envision Zuko's themesong to be – the lyrics certainly apply: 'You Won't Feel A Thing' by The Script. The title of this chapter even comes from that amazing song.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I own nothing copyrighted.**

* * *

**Chapter 23: If I Fall Here**

* * *

If, the previous year, someone had told Katara that she would befriend the long-lost Avatar and kiss the prince of the Fire Nation and watch an Agni Kai for its throne, she would have probably run in the other direction. Or attempted to waterbend at them, perhaps only succeeding in giving them an icy, irritating soak due to her extreme lack of skill.

But this was real, and beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

Azula began by drawing a gnarled hand back above her head and forcing it forward. Blue flames poured from her palm, quickly growing to twice her height and stronger than if it were a line of komodo rhinos charging across the courtyard. Katara lifted her arms to shield her face, the blinding light and heat bringing moisture to her eyes. Zuko, however, was used to fire rushing at his face, threatening to sear eyes. He did not flinch. He was no longer a whimpering boy crouching on a platform before his hateful father as he tearfully begged for mercy. Zuko leaped forward and thrust his arms out in the shape of an arrow – he cut through his sister's wall of fire, parting it as easily as a curtain.

Azula narrowed her eyes. "You've been practicing, I see, little brother," she called, a hand cupped around her mouth.

Zuko snorted, her insult failing to bother him as he drew closer. "And you've lost touch with reality. You banished your servants before they even had time to prepare the courtyard." He glanced around the grimy, undecorated plaza; the four long water troughs running along its length, two on each side, that were filled with stagnant rainwater; and the banners the Sages had discarded before fleeing. "I thought you of all people would ascend the throne in style."

Her frame shook and she clenched her fists. This was clearly a sensitive topic. "Don't you dare mock me, you _fool_!" she spat. "You're a worse traitor than the rest of them!" With that, she started wildly hurling fire at him.

He darted ahead, dodging with the ease of countless practice hours and an entire year of watching an airbender dance around his attacks. Zuko sent a burst of orange at her, her rhythm breaking as she crossed her arms in an 'x' to deflect it. Over the next minutes, a fierce exchange occurred – sweeping kicks, blazing whips, even a stream of fire from Zuko's mouth. And all the while, the combatants had not a single scratch – but that impressive record was to end.

One arm pointed forward rigidly so that his palm faced the musty brick floor; the balled fist of the other arm pushed down from the level of the neck to slide along the length of the rigid arm; and streaks of flame gathered on his fist along the way. But there was also heat building beneath the open palm – when the closed fist reached the end, the palm lifted and both joined together to create a vicious spout of fire.

Zuko's unusual move, akin to the lighting of a match, took Azula by surprise. "Argh!" Pounding her in the chest, it sent her flying back, inky hair coming loose as she crumpled to the floor on her stomach. But after hitting the ground… she did not move. She simply laid there, ill-cut hair concealing her face.

Katara frowned, eyes widening, back straightening as she made to rise from her seat on the stone stands. Surely he had not…? No, that move could not have defeated Azula so easily – it must have been quite an impact, but it could not have killed her. Right?

Rooted in place, Zuko bore a frown with less confusion than Katara's. Azula was wearing armour, expensive and fashionable for the occasion, but he knew it suited its function of protection. His move could not have taken her life, especially considering that it was _Azula's_ life – even at the Western Air Temple when she had been tumbling to her death, she was resourceful enough to whip off her headpiece and use it to snag a hold on the cliff. He had no doubt that she was taking shallow breaths, this time, so that he would not notice; waiting for him to come closer and feel her wrath. No, Zuko's frown showed curiosity as to why she would resort to such a childish strategy.

Maybe he had not fully comprehended the extent to which her mind was disturbed.

With a sigh, he assumed a stance and edged towards her sprawled figure. "You're not tricking anyone, Azula. Get up. I can't fire at you when you're lying there."

She did not lift her face, but she did respond. He knew the sound of her smile. "Aw, how _honourable_. You conform to the rules of Agni Kai even when you know it will mean your defeat."

"Tch. I guess I've-"

Azula let out a yell as she cut him off, scissoring her legs to knock him off balance. As fluid as a cat, she got to her feet and laughed as he toppled to the ground with a grunt. And to Katara's horror, she uncurled two fingers on each hand and began tracing circles in the air, electric blue sparks trailing in their wake. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She sneered as he propped himself on his elbows. "Was it not _honourable_ of me to interrupt you, _Zuzu_?" The air around her body crackling with energy to her satisfaction, just waiting to erupt from her fingertips, Azula released a noisy breath and stabbed her fingers out.

Katara frantically leaped to her feet. "Zuko!"

But he was already rolling to the side, evading the jet of energy; where he had lain, an enormous crack was gouged into the ground. He pushed to his feet, coughing as dust clouded the area; dust from which Azula then emerged, twitching, a blood-chilling expression of wonderment on her face as she stumbled on the crack in the bricks. He lifted a leg and kicked flame at her, gritting his teeth, the dust clearing as she retorted with a shot of blue fire from her palm.

The flames collided in an explosion that sent brother and sister skidding back – Zuko slipped on a puddle of rainwater leaking from the trough a few feet away, falling forward on his knees, but his palms met the stone harshly. He winced and leaned on his haunches to scrutinise the cuts on his hands. Glancing past his hair, he found Katara's eyes heavy on him as she willed herself to stay put and not interfere in the Agni Kai. He curled his fingers into his palms, closing his hands, ignoring the sickening squelch of blood from his wounds, and stood, his eyes never leaving hers.

She gave him the slightest inclination of her head, speaking with her look. _Are you all right?_

He nodded. _Letting her win is not an option._ His gaze was ripped from hers when lightning struck the ground right beside him.

Azula's cackle entered his ears. "You surely didn't think I'd give you a rest, did you?"

"Of course not."

"It looks like you took one, anyway." Azula's lips curled mockingly. "Funny, I didn't know you had a taste for filthy Water Tribe peasants."

Zuko's anger reared, teeth baring. Flinging his arm out, he produced a fire whip, seized it with his bloody hand and brought it down, aiming to strike her shoulder, but she leapt agilely out of the way. "Don't talk about her like that!"

"Or what? You'll call me a _monster_, like Mother?" She laughed but, as he cracked the whip again, sparks springing from where she stood a mere second before, he saw that mentioning their mother brought her pain. The feeling briefly flitted across her face before she continued her taunting. "Even if you do somehow beat me, Zuzu, the people would never accept her as your wife. Doesn't that make you sad?"

"Don't worry yourself with that," he said, hardly, between another strike.

The next time the whip came down, Azula only had to twist her body, the orange flame barely licking the black and gold armour guarding her back. She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she faced him, poison in her eyes despite her smile. "Aw…" She clicked her tongue. "Are you going to kill me?" _Chuckle_. "You'd murder your baby sister? Hmm, I wonder what Uncle Iroh would say – oh, I wonder how many presents Father would give you for beating me!" Something in her smile faltered. "He'll finally welcome you as-"

"Shut your mouth, _now_!" Zuko growled and shot blasts of fire at her, each knot of flame an embodiment of his fury.

She laughed maniacally as she punched each one away, and decided to end the series of blasts with a slicing arc of fire; Zuko bent backwards to recoil, the arc just grazing his throat. She bent her knees slightly and dropped her hands, rotating them in circles until spinning discs of burning blue formed at her sides – and dashing forward, she set them loose in Zuko's path. Still recovering from his previous move, a breath left Zuko as he messily kicked off the ground, the discs clashing beneath him as he landed in a crouch in front of the collision.

Reflexes told him to fire as soon as he rose but, to his surprise, his shred of fire tilted off course to whisper against a pillar – because Azula's wrist collided with his.

Katara's feet had now carried her to the bottom of the stands, a few paces from a restless Appa. Cold sweat speckled her palms, her eyes glued to the scene – the first contact – with her nerves tingling and heartbeat thrumming in her ears. The dark fear inside her fluctuated.

Panting, he frowned at Azula. "What are you doing?" It was uncommon for an Agni Kai to progress with hand-to-hand combat. And he did not like to admit it, but he was not expecting – or wanting – to fight her this way. There was a tremendous sense of finality about this type of attack, as it could only have one decisive end – and she would fight her best and not think twice about killing him; and he would have to rebut and choose to imprison her or end her life. After Aang's aversion to killing and what his uncle said yesterday and what _she_ said a few minutes ago, it was inhumane to murder a sibling for a throne… But she would be aiming to do just that. He was willing to take any measures to keep his life and country – and he knew that if he did not kill her, she would certainly kill him.

He sighed. This was an inconvenient time to be filled with his infamous inner conflict.

She adopted her signature smile of superiority, causing memories of childhood at the Fire Palace to ghost across his mind. "You aren't aware?" she asked sweetly, before her tone deepened to something cutting and gruff and unlike her usual cultured tone… Animalistic. "This is the part where I destroy you with my bare hands!"

* * *

"_Suki_!"

Tears of relief welled in Sokka's eyes as he yelled the name of the Kyoshi Warrior he would marry if they got out of this alive. Waving and grinning, she steered a war balloon, with its heavily dented armour and metalwork shaped into a scowling dragon; it was perhaps one of many stored in each airship for emergency escapes. _Thank the Spirits._ He did not care that he was a teenage boy and he was crying – Toph, trembling in the shelter of his left arm, would not be able to see or feel it; her arms were wrapped around his chest in an iron grip, blind to her surroundings save for Sokka. He knew that being in the air scared her, but this time it was different. This time, there was no friendly sky bison to scoop them up if they fell.

As for Suki… After the colossal airship had been split in two, separating her from them, he had been quite sure that he had lost her. As smoke and air from the turbines chopped around them, the atmosphere thick and smothering, he had been filled with such a great dread that he had nearly let Toph slip from his grasp to go tumbling over the edge and into the ocean… And he knew that was unacceptable. He would never let that happen – rather him than her, the stout earthbender he had come to love as a sister.

And so, after struggling to stay alive and not get hurt too gravely, Sokka and Toph found themselves clinging onto one of the large wooden spikes decorating the head of the airship, now drifting idly in midair – but an explosion a few moments before spotting Suki told him that that would not be the case for much longer. Sokka tightened his right arm's hold around the spike, and used his left to crush Toph in a hug. "It's gonna be okay now – she's here. Suki's back."

Toph's face broke into a smile, her little hand clutching his sleeve. "I wondered what all that screaming was about. She okay?"

Sokka glanced uneasily at his shaking right arm, which had begun to ache. He was uncertain as to how long he could hold on for, even though he knew he had to… "Yeah, and now we need to make sure you are too – _argh_!" Sokka jerked as another explosion sounded within the airship, causing the area directly in front of them to burst into flames, wood and metal flying into the air. He turned their bodies away, tucking his head lower, as heat and splinters washed over them. Panting, he cautiously raised his head. "Are you hurt, Toph?"

"N-No…" She was trembling. "Sokka, is that heat over there… fire?"

"Yeah, it is," said Sokka, looking away from the steadily nearing flames. "It's not only falling we have to worry about now, meaning we have to find a safe way to get off this thing. Just stay still, Toph, and-"

"Whoa, _what_? What are you gonna do?" Her grip on his sleeve tightened threateningly.

"Shush! It won't take long – you just need to stay still while I toss you over to Suki-"

"You're going to _throw_ me off this damn airship?" she demanded. "Hey, no offence, and I know this isn't the time to diss you and all – but you're not exactly the strongest and I'm not exactly a sack of potatoes."

Sokka huffed. "You're right – this isn't the time, Toph! This airship is collapsing and making boom sounds behind us. Do you _want_ to die in a fire?"

"Pfft, no-"

"And I know you aren't fond of drowning, either. Suki!" Sokka yelled, noticing that his fiancée was steering her war balloon closer with some difficulty, putting her full weight into yanking a lever. "Can you hear me?"

"What is it?" she shouted back, cupping her hands around her mouth.

Sokka shrugged Toph up so that her feet dangled slightly off the ornate spike – but the movement caused it to bend, hanging dangerously lower over the debris-ridden sea. No longer in a standing position, Sokka's cheek pressed into the wood, his legs scrabbling and curling until he straddled the structure. But Toph's legs swung freely, hands coming up to wildly clutch at his arm – all that was holding her up – and with screams, they both felt pangs of fear and adrenaline ricochet through them. Heart pounding, Sokka hurriedly hoisted her up so that she could hook her toes into a groove, providing momentary support for herself. He jerked his head up to Suki, who stood with wide eyes, hands covering her mouth. "I'm going to throw Toph to you!"

She nodded, setting her hands on the steering wheel until she hesitated. "Are you sure?"

Sokka glanced around for emphasis. "Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure, Suki!"

Suki nodded once gravely. "All right." Fiddling with a few gears, she coaxed her war balloon into a slow advance.

"Wait, that's enough," said Sokka, stopping her.

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Why? I can still come closer."

"Only a little bit, but the balloon will catch on fire." He cocked his head towards the roaring flames behind him, before meeting her gaze and giving her a reassuring smile. "It's all right." He did not mention how the sweat was building as the fire drew nearer, heat creeping along the wood, flickering but an inch from his foot. _This needs to be fast._ "Get ready, Toph."

Suki did not return his smile, because she knew better, and firmly pulled on the brake lever. Sokka studied the distance between them as Suki held out a firm hand – it was only a few feet. Toph would make the distance, as well as himself if he jumped. But the new angle at which the spike dipped did not allow him to pass on Toph without being unbalanced – unless he could find a way to stand…? He threw his head back to look over his shoulder – there was no other choice: The spike would come off completely in mere moments, and the heat was starting to burn his leg, his teeth sinking into his lip to stifle a noise of pain. And he would not let Toph fall.

That was unacceptable.

Swallowing and breathing deeply, he ignored the ache in his arm and steadily rose, planting a palm against the wood and pushing himself up, knees straining around the spike. With both arms around Toph, he shakily sat upright, leaned back as far as he could manage – and with a last whisper of "I'll see you in a bit", he heaved the earthbender out into the air.

The only thing keeping Toph from screaming and flailing as she flew through dark, hot nothingness was Sokka's advice of staying still. And his quiet words to her before his arms disappeared – his effort to reassure her was nice, but she knew that he was lying. Well, half-lying, anyway. Her arms outstretched, she shut her eyes against ashes and sparks, and before she knew it, she was met with a sure hand grasping her elbow and a slim arm curving around her shoulders, hauling her upwards; she winced as her legs smacked into the body of the war balloon. Toph instinctively locked her arms around Suki's neck as the older girl deposited her on the basket's floor. The similar certainty and strength of their grips made it somewhat realistic for Toph to have confused Suki and Sokka for one another, so long ago when she had almost drowned.

As Toph sat on the metal floor, she rubbed her legs and felt grateful for the return of her personal brand of sight. Suddenly, she heard the wrenching crash she had been preparing for, a scream, a yell from Sokka which gradually faded with distance… and once again, she felt grateful that she did not have the sight to be able to behold the horror on Suki's tearstained face, or an expression she would not be able to read the further Sokka fell.

Eyes remaining closed, Toph hugged her knees to her chest.

* * *

Whatever had overcome Azula made her a savage fighter.

Instead of possessing calculated fluidity, her movements were choppy and brutal, grunts pushing past her teeth with each strike. Every attack the one made was blocked by the other, fire lying under their flesh for an added sting upon coming into contact with their opponent. Knocked back, Azula kicked her leg out; it was swatted away by Zuko's, and when that same leg landed, he lifted the other in another kick aimed at her shoulder. Like a snake, she ducked under it and slid behind him – as he pivoted to face her, her hand sliced across his face and opened his lip. In the split-second that he was dazed, she gave a leap and kicked, ramming her boot hard into Zuko's chest – as he cried out, flying backwards to fetch up against a trough, he could have sworn he saw blue sparks leaving her foot upon impact.

With the raw power in her offence and the armour to protect her, he could not afford to be caught off-guard like this.

But he had sparse time to think, as a pair of cold hands suddenly closed around his throat – and his head was plunged into the murky water of the trough. He could hear the triumphant cackling past the water muffling his ears. A swarm of bubbles escaped his mouth as he fought against Azula's firm grip, his hands grabbing and swiping at where he estimated her face to be, but it felt as if she were placing her entire weight behind her attempt to drown him.

Just as he thought that this was the end, that his death would be cheap and watery, a particular memory kept skidding around his brain, but he struggled to grapple its meaning. It was a duel – with Katara – that seemed to emerge from another lifetime; wherein he had lifted his leg to release a stream of fire, and she had placed her hands on his shoulders, boosting herself off the ground to avoid his flames, curving her body ever upward… As he choked underwater, Zuko realised his hands were doing the wrong thing.

Black etched at his vision, but with a scowl of effort he pushed past it and lowered his hands to the rim of the trough. Bracing himself against it, he heaved his body upwards, driving his knee into her abdomen and simultaneously lifting her off her feet, launching her over the trough to land elsewhere with a howl. His thighs stung as they hit the opposite rim, but he – thankfully – graced the surface world once more. Zuko pulled himself upright, coughing and spluttering, chest _hurting_, and neck sore where her nails had dug in. Running a hand through his wet hair, he scrambled from the trough onto unsteady feet.

But he was not met with a reprieve, for a livid Azula stood a few yards away, a bleeding gash in her marble cheek from where it dragged on the bricks of the courtyard. Yet it was not this demented sight which startled him – from her quivering hands hung a chain, each link glinting in the torchlight. Hissing, she lunged forward – and the chains were binding his arms to his body. He tried in vain to struggle, but the pain in his chest was beginning to burn and his vision was blurry from deprivation of air…

On the stands, Katara was sickened with the heavy feelings within – terrifying and dark, they reared their heads. _I knew something bad was going to happen_, they whispered, urging her feet across the impossibly large space to where Zuko slouched in a chain. Azula's lips were moving, but Katara could not hear her – only her own breathing, a strange rustling noise, in and out of her lungs. "Zuko!" she shouted, but it sounded faraway. "Zuko, snap out of it!" It was as though he could not hear her – had she screamed at all? Azula did not acknowledge that she heard…

Oh, the heaviness inside Katara was overwhelming. She barely registered how her arms swooped up as she ran, swiping Azula with an enormous gush from the trough, crushing her against a pillar and freezing her in place with a thick layer of ice. Katara did not hear the curses spilling from Azula's mouth, the enraged screams as she writhed. She only focused on Zuko, slumping to his knees, the chain around him slackening.

"Zuko," Katara whispered. She dropped into a crouch beside him, unwinding the chain, the dark fog in her mind clearing. She had to be alert. She wet her lips, yanking the last length of chain away and tossing it to the side, before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "I couldn't let her do that. She can't win. I don't care if I broke the rules of Agni Kai-"

He coughed against her shoulder. "It's okay, Katara," he responded weakly. "It's fine."

And then everything happened at once.

His head snapped up and he was suddenly putting all his energy into shoving Katara to the side. She stumbled over the bricks, falling on her back and, propping herself on her elbows, she saw the lightning bolt pierce Zuko as he forced himself to his feet. Katara knew nothing of bending lightning, but intuition told her that his reflexes were not quick enough in his weakened state to redirect all of it, a much thinner bolt channelling off into the air from his convulsing hands. Katara started forward as Zuko collapsed, her eyes burning as if electric blue light still bounded over her face. But before she could reach him, Azula, now free, fired a second bolt of lightning that struck right where the waterbender's foot was about to step.

Katara shielded her face as rubble and dust clouded around her. A frustrated growl entered her ears – and Azula was directly in front of her. Katara gasped, recoiling, her hand flying to the side and summoning a water whip – with more force than necessary, she knocked Azula off her feet and released the water to splash over the Fire Nation princess.

Without thinking over her actions, Katara wheeled and dashed for a water trough; she raised her arms, the water mimicking the action, softening the slap as she threw herself into the trough. Submerging herself could be considered cowardly, but she needed to gather her thoughts. She needed to. How would she heal Zuko with Azula ready to melt her head off? And a worse thought was the matter of whether it was too late… Using waterbending to breathe underwater, the fear churned at Katara's very core.

* * *

_Death was a curious sensation, Sokka decided, for lack of a better description. He could not put a name to what was happening to him, but whatever it was, it was certainly shiny. And very blue. Yes, lots and lots of blue, all around him. Perhaps he could be optimistic for once – this was an appropriate death for a Water Tribe warrior, and honourable considering the circumstances. Ironically, he chose right at the very end to be optimistic, when he had one foot in the Spirit World… if the Spirit World accepted him. Surely it would – the time he had spent there could not have been for nothing, but it would be so like the Spirit World to shut him out for fun. He wondered if all dead people went there – then there would be no reason to deny him. _

_Sokka shook his head and clicked his tongue. He did not really want to go there anyway; there were no bathrooms and familiar meats. "Well, it's official. Optimism sucks." _

"_Sometimes you're optimistic even when you don't realise it."_

_Sokka started and tried to turn around, but found that his body was not moving properly. With a gasp, he discovered that he was underwater; and although he had gasped, water had not entered his mouth and flooded his lungs to drown him. He was simply… floating, suspended limply in an orb of water that sparkled brighter than the dark depths into which he had plunged. As he processed this knowledge, he was noticing more – how he could just barely make out the calamitous world beyond the surface, and the pair of gentle, frail hands lightly holding his own in an almost ghostly demeanour. _

_He gasped (again) and did not choke (again) as he beheld her face. "Yue…"_

_Indeed, the spirit of the moon hovered before him, glowing with the same brightness of the glittering water. She smiled that timid yet radiant smile of hers. "Hello, Sokka. I'm glad I can speak with you again."_

_And he tried to speak, but felt his voice cracking. Here she was, his first love who had vanished into the Spirit World with their parting kiss. His heart felt a pang of remembrance, but… "Yue," he said again, in a murmur, before clearing his throat and speaking up. "What… How are you here right now?"_

"_It may not be my time in the sky just this moment, but I watch over you sometimes, when I feel you looking at me at night or if I sense that you are in danger. I always want to keep you and your friends safe – and right now, Sokka…" She paused, glancing down briefly before raising her eyes with a stronger air about her, one that had become part of her when she became the moon. "Right now, you aren't safe. You and Katara."_

"_Katara?" he spluttered, dread leaking into him. "What do you mean? Is she hurt?"_

_Yue's eyes were kind but sad. "No, but she will be. I sense that her life force will become what yours is at present."_

_Sokka's eyes widened slowly. "How bad is my life force?" he asked quietly._

"_I felt you on the verge of entering the Spirit World."_

"_A-Am I in the Spirit World right now?"_

"_No, Sokka. I prevented it. You are currently one step into the Spirit World. It would take another step to either enter it or stay behind and live a life."_

_Sokka could not help a smile – he had totally been right. "So… what now? I didn't know you could, uh, stop death."_

_She chuckled. "Trust me, if you hadn't been to the Spirit World before, I would never have been able to sense you and your loved ones as I can. But even so, everything is connected."_

_Sokka snorted. "Tell me about it. Are Suki and Toph okay?"_

"_They are doing well. There is another thing I'd like to tell you… Sokka, you have my blessing to marry Suki. The harvest moon will smile fondly on your wedding day, and it would bring me joy to see you and her happy."_

_Sokka's smile fell. "But Yue…" Another pang in his chest. He grimaced, feeling uneasy as he looked at her. "You're here right now. What does that mean for… us?"_

_She smiled. "You loved me once, and I you, but your place is there." She released hold of his right hand and pointed up at the surface. "Your heart remembers me – I can feel it and I'm glad for it. But it is not love your heart feels for me – care, yes. You treasured what we had a time ago, and I do too. But you and Suki love each other, and I am so happy that you do. It would take one step to go with me, but I don't want you to take that step especially because you, yourself, do not." She took his hand again. "And I saved you because I know that the life that awaits you there is amazing, and you deserve to live it."_

_As Sokka stared at her, he felt a warm relief and found himself wanting to cry – yes, he knew that he did not love her as he once did, but she was definitely precious to him, and the beauty of what she was doing struck him hard. She had saved him from dying, brought him back from the very clutches of death. Sokka nodded vigorously and threw his arms around her shoulders. "Thank you, Yue. Thank you so much. That's not enough, I know, but thank you. I'll never forget this – or you, and-"_

_She laughed and carefully disengaged him, taking his hands once more. "Be careful, Sokka, you can't let go of me until I bring you to complete safety. Otherwise, you'll have no choice but to enter the Spirit World. And…" She paused, smiling to herself. "You're very welcome. I promised myself I'd do my best to protect you, your friends and your family. You were good to me."_

_Sokka looked down. "You said Katara was in danger… Could you go to her, like you came to me?"_

"_I don't know if she would see me – she does not have a strong connection to the Spirit World, and the danger she is in has not brought her to the brink of death yet. But I fear it will. I'll try to help her before it's too late."_

_Sokka sighed, calmed with relief and gratitude (again). "You have no idea how grateful I am, Yue."_

_She patted his hand. "It's time to go now." _

_With his hand firmly in hers, Yue turned and twirled her free hand in graceful circles, conjuring a current of water. The luminescent silks wafting about her body and her shimmering hair trailed behind them as they sped in a horizontal direction – strange, Sokka thought, that they were not making for the surface. As the current carried them swiftly and loyally, Sokka suddenly recalled how a different kind of current had dragged him beneath the waves to his supposed doom… It made him cringe. _

_After a while, Yue's hand manipulating the water slowed and relaxed, and they glided along at a steadier pace. Finally, they came to a stop – and as Sokka looked around, he realised with a shock that only blackness now surrounded them. But Yue looked at him evenly and smiled that same smile, before lifting his hand to her lips, dabbing a light kiss on it. As she began to drift into the air, her fingers slipping from his, she said, "Goodbye, Sokka, and good luck. You're safe now."_

He opened his eyes.

The Water Tribe warrior bolted upright, coughing and spluttering water, fistfuls of sand clutched beside him. His chest heaved and burned, and as he whipped his head around, he took in his surroundings. Sokka was now on the shore, away from the flaming wreckage of airships that had by now crashed into the sea – away from death. He fidgeted in the sand, and saw with dismay that he had lost his boots and wolf helmet, his hair wet and free and pasted to his face. His shoulders slumped, then, as he sighed with relief (again).

"_What_? You f-feel Sokka? Where?"

"On the beach. I told you, my sandbending's _pretty_ great now. I'm sure it's him – and he feels alive enough."

"_Sokka_!" Footsteps began to run. "Sokka!"

"Hey, wait up! Don't let him see you've been crying!"

Sokka's face broke into a huge grin, but as he opened his mouth to respond to Suki's shouts, he simultaneously made to stand up – and learned, quite painfully, that his leg had been broken. Sokka's head fell back as he clasped his leg. "ARGHHHHHH!"

* * *

Katara trembled in the cold water, lying at the bottom of the trough with her hands tensed before her, ready to shoot forth a spike of ice and impale any foe who found her. Crying was the last thing on her spinning mind – she was trying and failing to think of a strategy. The sound of lightning echoed in her ears, pounding at her brain together with Azula's laughter; and shocking blue light lingered in her vision each time she blinked. Her left eye, in particular, was aching heavily, perhaps an effect of Azula's lightning blast. These were of no help to her frantic strategising – and neither did they allay the coiling darkness in her gut.

_Rise._

Katara's shoulders tensed. Where had that ghostly voice come from? It sounded nothing like Azula or Zuko or Aang – no one she recognised. It had a strong, significantly feminine sound, but a hundred other voices whispered and sang along with it, in that single word.

_Rise_, it urged again. This time, the feminine voice entered her ears stronger than before. It almost sounded like…

A fire sparked in Katara's chest, steadily building, melting the cold dread that had driven her moments ago. A knot inside her stomach was unravelling, unwinding. Her mind was clear and crisp again. Her trembling ceased and steel entered her eyes, past the ache in her left and the memory of deadly lightning. She looked to her left and right, glaring at the enclosing walls of the trough, the dirty water in which she had immersed herself to escape Azula's wrath… Zuko was out there, the life draining from him with every second that went by because Azula had shot him. And if Azula won, millions would die.

_Rise._

And Katara had to stop her. Facing the surface, the waterbender scowled and dropped her hands to her sides. "I won't hide." Her hands began to work, building energy beneath her skin. Bubbles fizzing about her mouth, the ghostly voice unearthed words from the past which Katara found herself saying: "I will never, _ever_ turn my back on people who need me."

_Rise, Katara, and fight. Don't give up._ The voice rang clear, and with a small smile, Katara knew to whom it belonged.

"Don't worry, Yue. I won't."

Katara flung her hands up and felt the power rushing through her chi paths, generating a powerful surge of water behind her. The water blasted upwards, carrying her so that she was lifted out of the trough. After coming into contact with the hot air outside, she twisted the water so that she was moved into a standing position, perching fearlessly on the crest of the wave she suspended beneath her, towering from the trough.

Opposite Katara, at a break between two troughs, the Fire Nation princess had a gnarled hand resting on one of the pillars lining the courtyard, body ducked in an exaggerated manner as she peered around it. As soon as she heard the sound of water, she whipped her head over her shoulder and took in the sight of Katara with a malignant grin. Azula turned her whole body and began to walk, menacingly, towards the waterbender. "There you are at last, you filthy _scum_."

A quick glance to her right told Katara that a groaning Zuko lay at the end of the courtyard, out of range of what she was about to do next. In the space of a single second, deciding that Azula was close enough, Katara firmed her control over the water and gave a small jump. In midair, she brought her right foot down and gave the wave a vicious kick forward, simultaneously thrusting her arms out – the wave pounded forward with enough strength to hold Azula off.

Kicking her right foot had provided leverage for Katara to somersault and land in a crouch behind the trough, and she watched as Azula screamed, the wave smashing into her. Katara's chest was heaving but without further pause, she leaped over the trough to land smoothly on the other side. She darted forward, boots smacking on the bricks, to where Azula was recovering from being dashed against the metal grates, covering the underground channels, behind her. Leaning on her hands, she glared at the impassive Katara, and with a snarl flung a fist out to possibly burn the girl's face off while she stood there.

But Katara had anticipated it. Calmly, she lifted her hand and brought Azula's body under her control, a light plucking motion constraining the princess' body into an arch, her head yanked back as she was forced to kneel.

"W-What is this power? What are you doing?" she demanded, hysteria rising. "What _is_ this, you water witch?"

Katara walked forward, momentarily uncertain how to keep her subdued while she tended to Zuko, until she spotted the chains attached to the heavy metal grates. _That's what she used to bind Zuko before._ Stooping, Katara motioned so that Azula's wrists clamped behind her back, before tightening the chains around her wrists and ankles. Azula began to weep messily when Katara broke off her bloodbending, ensuring she was secured, and whirled and dashed across the courtyard. Alone, Azula escalated to a tantrum, continuing to ramble and wail and scorn Katara, who knew that in this state she would never find a way to break free.

Meanwhile, Katara almost reached Zuko when her speeding heart urged her along even faster – because Zuko had stopped groaning. As she ran, she pulled water from the humid air around her. A cold sweat formed all over her body, and her breath came in gasps, and her eye was still hurting, and moist heat was building in both eyes, and she just hoped and hoped that he was going to be okay.

She dropped to her knees beside him and turned him onto his back, pressing two fingers to his neck – it was still warm, but… but there was no pulse. Katara's eyes widened as she summoned more water to pool around her hands, and she pressed them to the savage burn on his chest, right where his heart should beat. "Please, Zuko," she whispered, the healing water bright with a purity she had not seen in Azula's lightning bolt. "It can't be like this. I-It can't.

"Please, _live_," she pleaded, shutting her eyes, tears running down her cheeks, forcing more energy than she had into healing Zuko back to life. This could not be happening. Not now. Not at all. _It can't._ He was alive and breathing a few moments ago. It could not just _end_ like this, over here, before she had told him…

Katara choked out a sob, salty tears dripping into her mouth, as she felt her strength waver – but she had to carry on. Yue had even asked her to. She would not stop until he was okay. "Zuko…" she whispered, calling out to him, knowing that no matter what, she could not give up. She opened her eyes, but his remained closed, not a flutter of the lashes, and the cut on his silent lips was startling red with blood. "Don't leave me alone after the end."

Tears fell from her eyes to mix with the healing water, a glow she refused to let die.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I don't want to keep you all waiting too long for the next chapter, for obvious reasons… And man, this chapter took more banging into place than any other chapter I've ever written ever! Sheesh. Chapter 24 is coming along much nicer, though. :) And btw, Katara wasn't in the trough for too long – probably panicking in there for about five minutes.**

**I hope we're all excited that this story is drawing to a close after, what, three years? When I published it, I did not expect it to take this long, but thank you all for your continued support! On this story, and my other stories (speaking of which, I've posted more…). **

**Remember, reviews = love! I enjoy reading about what you all think and in these dark times, they make me feel very happy and are fantastic self-confidence boosters. :3 Thanks for reading! You guys rock!**

**(I can't believe I'm so cheerful when Zuko is possibly going to die… Hmm…)**


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